Queensland Cites Cubic Delays, 50-Cent Fares, as Reasons for Changing Smart Ticketing Contract
he Queensland government in Australia confirmed that it pulled regional bus operators out of its Smart Ticketing project–at least in part– because of delays in the fare-system rollout by Cubic Transportation Systems, according to the text of a document seen by Mobility Payments.
The Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads had told Mobility Payments earlier this month that it had “reallocated funding” for regional bus operators to “choose their own ticketing solution”– a move that appears to reduce the size of Cubic’s contract with the government. But the agency didn’t specify at the time exactly why it was making the move.
Queensland Government Pulls Regional Bus Operators out of ‘Smart Ticketing’ Fare Project–a Loss for Cubic
The Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads in Australia has confirmed to Mobility Payments it has “reallocated funding” for regional bus operators to “choose their own ticketing solution”– a move that appears to reduce the size of Cubic Transportation Systems’ contract with the government.
The Smart Ticketing project has been beset by delays, as well as reported budget overruns. Cubic won an AU$371 million (US$245.2 million) contract to provide a new fare system, including open-loop payments and account-based ticketing, in Australia’s third-largest state, Queensland, in 2018.
Queensland Rollout to Hit Major Milestone after Years of Delays; Politicians Seek to Score Points Over Fare-System Fumble
The last major transport operator serving the Australian city of Brisbane and the state’s most populous region, “South East Queensland,” is scheduled to launch open-loop payments Monday as part of a long delayed Smart Ticketing project being rolled out by Cubic Transportation Systems.
The original AU$371 million (US$234.1 million) account-based ticketing and open-loop payments project will increase in cost to nearly