Public transport ticketing in New South Wales, Australia has operated using a variety of different fare collection systems. Paper tickets were used until 1992, whilst magnetic tickets were used until 2016. The magnetic ticketing system, known variously as AFC, STATS and MyZone, was progressively replaced by a contactless smart card called Opal.

Paper tickets

Payment types Flimseys were single bus tickets used between the 1950s and the 1990s. These tickets were printed in blocks of 250 and stapled together.

TravelPasses were periodical multi-modal tickets used between 1983 and 2016. These tickets were introduced under the Wran State Government.

MetroTens were multi-ride bus tickets used between 1985 and 1992. These tickets were based on optical mark recognition.

Criticism These early systems, along with the paper tickets used on the rail network, made policing fare compliance somewhat labour-intensive. Originally the railways had ticket collectors or inspectors at the exit of every station. Bus services had drivers, and previously conductors, selling or checking periodical tickets. The cost-saving reduction of ticketing staff on state public transport resulted in the responsibility for fare compliance being transferred from the service operators onto the passengers. This change sometimes resulted in revenue loss. For example, the MetroTen was easily and frequently defrauded by passengers. Of the "el cheapo Metroten ticketing system that the former Labor Government installed", transport minister Bruce Baird told Parliament, "Many people know that rorting has gone on. ... The system is outdated and has outlived its usefulness."

Tackling fare evasion was also at the heart of automated ticketing on the rail network. Baird told Parliament that under the Wran and Unsworth governments, "between 10 and 20 per cent" were checked and that this had risen to "between 50 per cent and 60 per cent" since the Greiner government took office. "With automatic fare collection," Baird told Parliament, "85 per cent of all tickets will be checked regularly. It is estimated that somewhere in the range of $20 million to $30 million each year will be collected by way of revenue that should have been paid for travel on State Rail."

Magnetic tickets

AFC The Automated Fare Collection (AFC) system was officially launched on Sydney Ferries services on Monday 10 July 1989, following trial use by Manly Hydrofoil passengers on Friday 7 July. State Transit installed ticket vending machines and ticket barriers at Circular Quay and Manly, the main wharves in its network. The operation of the ferries ticketing system was the focus of a corruption inquiry in 1999.

STATS The State Transit Automated Ticketing System (STATS) was officially launched on Sydney and Newcastle bus services on 31 August 1992. The change was heralded by the installation of a Datafare 2000 drivers' console and two AES Prodata green ticket validators in each of State Transit's 1,600 buses. CityRail's adoption of the system was more fraught, occurring late and over budget. Officials blamed the size of the rail system. While State Transit equipped two stops—Circular Quay and Manly—with ticket vending machines, CityRail was required to outfit almost 300 stations with them. The government was forced to allay fears that automated ticketing would mean that more stations would have staffing withdrawn once vending machines were in place. The system, including vending machines and ticket barriers, was introduced to the CityRail network over 12 months between July 1992 and July 1993, at a cost of some $90 million.

The initial ferry implementation (AFC) had its ticket data format revised to the new common standard (STATS). This resulted in State Transit's bus and ferry networks sharing a common ticketing system with the State Rail Authority, with a range of multi-modal magnetic tickets to be introduced. The State Rail Authority also offered combined tickets with private operators, notably BusPlus with private bus operators in Western Sydney and the Central Coast, TramLink with the Sydney Light Rail operator, and Blue Mountains ExplorerLink with the operator of a tourist bus loop in Katoomba.

During this period:

CityRail issued magnetic single tickets and periodicals covering 7, 14, 28, 90 and 365-days. State Transit issued magnetic single tickets, the ten-trip TravelTen, weekly TravelPass periodicals, DayTripper, BusTripper and Pensioner Excursion Tickets (P.E.T.s). The tickets were available at railway stations, newsagents, transit shops and bus depots. DayTripper and P.E.T.s were also available on-board buses. Sydney Ferries issued magnetic single tickets, the ten-trip FerryTen, TravelPass periodicals, DayTrippers and P.E.T.s. The tickets were available at major wharves and newsagents. In June 2019, public testing of a reintroduced STATS system commenced. The system's use is restricted to special excursion trips operated by two Sydney transport heritage groups. The two groups have each had fresh magnetic ticket stock produced.

PrePay PrePay was a concept introduced by State Transit in 2004, where a ticket had to be purchased before boarding a bus. This meant that bus tickets could not be bought from the driver. Tickets accepted included the TravelTen, DayTripper and P.E.T.s etc.

Bus stops were PrePay between 7am and 7pm on weekdays. During this time, no cash was accepted on any State Transit route when getting on from any of these stops and a prepaid magnetic ticket had to be used instead. The first bus stop to be trialed and converted to PrePay was the Watson Street bus stop along Military Road in 2004. Subsequently, other busy bus corridors and interchanges were progressively converted to become PrePay. All bus stops within the CBD became PrePay on 22 June 2009.

State Transit introduced its first PrePay service, route 333, in October 2006 between Circular Quay and Bondi Beach. Cash was not accepted at any bus stop along the route during any time of the day. Subsequently, other State Transit limited stops and express routes were also progressively converted to PrePay services. The first five Metrobus routes (M10-M40, M50) were also PrePay services. During the transition to MyZone, magnetic MyZone tickets replaced the older State Transit-only magnetic tickets and became the only tickets accepted on PrePay services. MyZone tickets accepted for PrePay services included MyMulti tickets, MyBus TravelTen tickets, Family Funday Sunday and P.E.T.s. The Opal card is accepted for PrePay services.

PrePay was also introduced to other bus operators, such as Forest Coach Lines services, at certain bus stops at certain times on weekdays. Commencing in 2018, all bus routes were progressively converted to PrePay by region.More Sydney buses moving to Opal only services Transport for NSW 18 November 2018Most buses in the North West of Sydney are moving to Opal only services Transport for NSW 16 June 2019 On 28 October 2019, the last routes within the CBD became cashless so that specific cashless stops within that area were no longer used.More bus services in Sydney to become cashless Transport for NSW 21 October 2019 During the COVID-19 pandemic, all Opal bus services became cashless.Information and advice on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) Transport for NSW 23 April 2020

MyZone In April 2010, the ticketing system was expanded and rebranded to MyZone.MyZone website, accessed 2 February 2010. The system launched new fare products and standardised fare product names and ticket designs across trains, buses and ferries; and brought privately operated buses into the same fare structure as those operated by the State Transit Authority. Limited integration with the then privately owned light rail system was added in 2011. For many passengers, particularly those travelling longer distances, the reduction in the number of fare bands meant substantial price cuts for public transport. However, critics noted that MyZone represented little more than a redesign of tickets, and pointed to the Labor government's failure to implement Tcard, a smart card system abandoned following trials in 2007. Like the previous ticketing range, MyZone used the existing magnetic automated fare collection system on trains, government buses and ferries. Private bus services and the light rail required manual checking or validation of the ticket by the driver or conductor.

History

MyZone was designed to simplify the city's claimed complex fare system, reducing the 20 train fare zones to five, the five bus zones to three, and the five ferry zones to two, thus removing one of the reported stumbling blocks to the integration of ticketing and the introduction of a smart card.Inner-city commuters hit by hefty fare shake-up Sydney Morning Herald 2 February 2010 The changes were welcomed by Infrastructure Partnerships Australia, but criticised by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal, which was not consultedNew public transport fares 'overpriced' The Daily Telegraph 4 February 2010 and by the Independent Public Inquiry into a Long-Term Public Transport Plan for Sydney. The lobby group Action for Public Transport welcomed the changes with some reservations.NEWS RELEASE: MyZone Tickets Welcomed by Transit Users Action for Public Transport 2 February 2010.

Then Shadow Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian criticised the MyZone system, claiming the government merely replaced one clumsy system for another. She encouraged the replacement of the paper-based ticketing system with an electronic one.

In June 2011, the MyZone system was extended to the then privately owned light rail system. MyMulti tickets and the non-MyZone Pensioner Excursion Ticket and Family Funday Sunday were recognised on the light rail.Media release – Pensioners, families big winners in light rail ticket changes. Minister for Transport – Gladys Berejiklian 14 June 2011

In September 2013, changes were made to MyMulti eligibility on ferries, with usage restrictions replacing unrestricted travel. MyMulti 1 tickets were no longer accepted and the MyMulti 2 could only be used for journeys up to 9 km. The MyMulti 3 continued to offer unrestricted travel.MyMulti changes NSW Transport Info 24 May 2013MyMulti Travel Map Effective from 1 September 2013 NSW Transport Info 24 May 2013

Magnetic tickets were retired in stages:

From 1 June 2014, Pensioner Excursion Tickets, MyMulti Daypass and Family Funday Sunday tickets were no longer available for purchase onboard all State Transit buses. From 1 September 2014, 14 tickets (mostly periodicals) were withdrawn.Opal card pop-up kiosks now located at 28 major Sydney stations Transport for NSW 28 July 2014 From 20 November 2014, 11 tickets (Newcastle-specific) were withdrawn.11 paper tickets no longer sold in Newcastle from 20 November Transport Info 3 November 2014 From 1 January 2016, all other paper tickets were withdrawn except single bus tickets, and single and return tickets for trains, ferries and light rail.Time to tap into Opal - majority of paper tickets to be phased out Transport for NSW 4 August 2015Most paper tickets no longer sold from 1 January 2016 Transport NSW Info 4 August 2015From 1 January 2016 no longer sold Opal Card Retrieved 4 August 2015. From 1 August 2016, the last remaining tickets were withdrawn.

Payment types

MyZone consisted of four main ticket types: MyTrain, MyBus, MyFerry and MyMulti.

Existing single, return, weekly and other periodical train ticket products were rebranded as "MyTrain", and the number of fare bands was reduced to five. Train fares continued to be based on distance. Periodical ticket discounts remained unchanged.