Having rolled out smart ticketing in other parts of Queensland and making it available on trains and ferries in Brisbane, Smartlink is now ready to enable the service on Brisbane buses as well, starting Monday, March 24. The automatic payment system has been in the works for years now and has been trialled extensively since having the hardware installed on 2600 SEQ buses ahead of this final roll-out.
The new service means that passengers may not need their Go Cards anymore, although there is a possibility of glitches in system, such as “card clashes”, which could result in commuters being charged multiple fares in multiple cards. This can happen if a passenger taps on or off with any sort of wallet or case that has multiple cards in it. To avoid this, customers are advised to remove the card they’re using to pay before tapping.
It’s also important to note that the same card cannot be used to pay for two fares on the same trip, but a physical card and its smart device counterpart are considered separate payment methods, so customers wanting to pay for themselves and someone other can do so by using their physical card and the same card on their smart device. The most important steps are to make sure you use the same card to pay for every trip on your journey, to ensure your fare is calculated correctly, and to remember to tap off.
Happy commuting!