SYDNEY, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Commuters in Australia's Sydney will soon be able to buy their tickets on all public transport networks by "tapping-on" with their bank cards, smartphones and wearable electronic devices.
While Sydney passengers are already able to pay their fare with contactless payment options on trains, trams and ferries, New South Wales Transport Minister Andrew Constance announced on Sunday that the concept will now be expanded to include the Harbour City's bus services.
"Launching this technology on buses marks the final piece in the contactless payments puzzle and we expect all buses on the Opal network to be able to accept credit and debit cards by the end of September," he said.
"There will also be more savings for existing customers who choose to tap on with their credit or debit card, with full fare parity with adult Opal cards (travel card)."
"This is a huge win for regular commuters who now have another convenient payment option with all the benefits of Opal."
Also set to make public transport access much easier for international visitors, Constance said that the state government's "drive towards technology and digital products is part of turning Sydney into a smart city."
So far, an average of over 1 million people per month have recorded contactless transactions on public transport in Sydney since the initiative was introduced in 2017.
