Drivers say Opal is no gem, Newcastle Herald reports
TAPPING ON: Greg Hall, of Mayfield. Picture: Simone De Peak, Newcastle Herald
The spate of Opal failures continue, and it is not just in Sydney.
While the state government has hailed its Newcastle rollout of the Opal card as “very successful”, bus drivers in the Hunter are complaining of faulty readers and software glitches.
Drivers on Newcastle routes have told the Newcastle Herald the Opal system, which replaced most paper tickets in January, has left them dealing with passengers unable to tap on or off.
At best, the machines are unreliable, and there are some runs where they just don’t work.
Chris Preston, of the NSW Rail, Tram and Bus Union, said the Opal system “just doesn’t work” on buses and has been costing the state in lost revenue.