Finally, smart ticketing set to roll out on Brisbane buses

“I thought I had heard everything that could go wrong, until I heard about card clashing,” Brown said.

“It’s going to hit people where it hurts.”

Commuters will need to tap on and off using the same payment method for every trip on their journey, just as they do with Go Cards.

A bank card or phone cannot be tapped twice to pay for two fares on the same trip. But a physical card, and the same debit or credit card loaded on a smart device, are considered separate payment options.

“If a customer wants to pay for themselves and their child/partner, they can tap on and off by using their physical debit or credit card to pay for themselves, and debit or credit card on their smart device to pay for their child/partner,” the handout states.

Translink’s website explains: “When you add a credit or debit card to your digital wallet, a new virtual card number is generated. This is why they are not interchangeable, even if they’re linked to the same bank account.”

In 2019, Queensland Transport promised smart ticketing would replace the Go Card on all south-east Queensland buses, ferries and trains by late 2022.

Commuters have been able to use smartwatches, credit cards and phones to touch on and off on Brisbane trains since mid-2022 and on CityCats and ferries since April 2024.

The hardware was installed on 2600 south-east Queensland buses by July 2024, including 1200 Brisbane City Council buses, but commuters were forced to wait to use it as transport logistic company Cubic ironed out “technical complexities” in its software.

The Cubic software had problems interpreting cards and smartphones on the bus network because it is wireless, unlike fixed card readers at train stations and ferry terminals.

New payment systems including Google Pay and China’s WeChat Pay also created problems.

Brisbane City Council transport chair Ryan Murphy attributed delays in the rollout to the previous Labor state government.

“We look forward to smart ticketing being introduced on Brisbane buses and metro services as soon as possible,” he said.

Comment is being sought from Translink.