Estimates - Transport - Common Ticketing Solution
CHAIR - We will go to the much-awaited ticketing system. When initially proposed in 2018, a long time ago, the stipulated cost of the ticketing system rollout by Cubic Transportation Systems was $7 million, but that has now increased to $30 million with an additional $37 million for contract extensions as outlined in the 2024-25 annual report for the Department of State Growth. The 2026-27 Tasmanian Budget includes continued funding for the ticketing and passenger transport systems operational funding in this Budget and the 2027-28 forward Estimates. With the six-year delay and the significant increase of its original budget, when will the government release a progress report on the ticketing system rollout and installations?
Mr VINCENT - The progress report is paused at the moment. With free transport at the moment, we are pausing to take the opportunity to look at that. I will ask the deputy secretary to expand on the common ticketing.
Ms HEYDON - Yes, certainly. Just for clarity in relation to the common ticketing program, it's a series of works and initiatives. The Cubic contract is worth $21 million and that's for the design and build of the ticketing system. There are additional costs in relation to enabling projects, including a network planning tool called HASTUS. If you're particularly interested I can give you more details but it helps with the actual planning of the network as well as real-time. That's a separate project but part of this program and part of that broader funding of the $35.7 million. We are continuing to work with operators around the requirements for installation as well and were working with Cubic around what that rollout looks like, but we will be informed by fare policy options to be provided to government around the technology that's required to support any future fare. While the ticketing system itself - the Cubic system - is obviously predominantly for ticketing, it does have other operating benefits that sit behind it that help operators in relation to their routes and bus services, so we're also looking at and understanding what's required and what we can be using that can support arrangements as well.
CHAIR - Thank you, Ms Heydon. Minister, obviously this is of great interest to the community and we've got the success of the free-fare initiative. Would the government consider redirecting these funds to retain low or free bus fares as a cost-of-living measure or reinstating the cut services? When will the government release a road map detailing clear timelines and plans for the ticketing system rollout?
Mr VINCENT - Certainly some of these services have been withdrawn. Part of what we did recently in May was the adjustments to the bus timetables to make the timetables of the buses on the direct routes more actual to what they should be and to allow for the changes in transport times. The second part of that is we're working now to see what other areas and where the numbers are where appropriate services need to be added. As we know, there are some pressure points in a few of the suburbs where there's been growth in population that need to have them instead of just putting back what might not have been working before to actually make system improvements over the coming months to make sure that service is improved. With the allocation of funds, it is still a live project, even though it's been paused, and we'll work through what that means as we analyse how the free system is working for our public transport. I'm not sure whether the deputy secretary has any more to add on that.
Ms HEYDON - We have to provide some further advice and options to government in relation to future fares and the technology and requirements that sit there and what this ticketing system supports in that space as well.
CHAIR - Thank you. Just to let you know that we're going to 1.16 p.m., so we're on the home straight now for this session.