A quick one: the new Myki readers I wrote about recently have started to be switched on, and can be used.
Here’s one at South Yarra:
It seemed pretty responsive.
If you’re eagle-eyed you’d notice it said “Change of mind” – I went through a couple of times when I was checking it out.
Oddly it didn’t have the animated “Tap below” seen recently on the test units that points down to the card reader… though I didn’t see anybody incorrectly tap the screen. (UPDATE: I’m told the animation only kicks in after a period of inactivity; eg it’s screen saver.)
In fact most other people seemed to pass through without noticing the difference. I guess only some of us obsess about this stuff.
Anyway, read my previous blog post for more on these new readers. I’m told you can see them in action at Upfield, Gowrie, Fawkner, Moreland, Footscray, Glenroy, Southern Cross, South Yarra and soon Seymour.
They’re part of upgrades that will deliver new functionality including the option of bank card payment, which is important for new and occasional public transport users.
This is convenient for passengers who choose it, but also good for the system; it removes part of the cost and burden of issuing and managing millions of cards.
It’s one of those important things in a modern public transport system that is easy for everyone to use – alongside a network of all day every day frequent services.
And I’ll just say again: the government should introduce a weekly fare cap, to encourage more people to use bank cards (and other linked devices), Myki Money (with or without auto top-up) or Mobile Myki on Android, with the confidence that if they travel every day, they will still get the weekly price.
9 replies on “New Myki readers activated”
Confirmed at Fawkner Station. Saw them installing one of the readers last week
one question that just came to mind…
if i have a myki and a credit card in my wallet on my phone… how do i make sure it choses the right one?
Hi Daniel,
Presumably the new readers at stations without gates will be mounted on the existing posts? I can’t imagine that they would install gates at every station but I also haven’t seen any photos of the new readers in post form. Are you aware of how these are being installed? Thanks!
@David, really good question. I would hope and assume that once contactless payments are enabled, if the card reader detects both Mobile Myki and a credit card on the phone, it would use Mobile Myki by preference.
@Pauciflora, yes they said they’ll use existing poles where possible. See the previous post for a pic of the pole-mounted readers. I haven’t had a look yet but presumably they are used at the Upfield line stations that have new readers.
this new reader looks so much more ugly!
The current Myki readers won’t register a touch on if they detect multiple cards, and I suspect the same thing will happen with the new ones. You have to separate the card you’re using from the others a little bit. I use a little flip-up bit in my wallet that has my Myki and driver’s licence on either side.
@ ross, that makes sense… but what will happen when both are digital.
ie i have a digital wallet credit card and my myki in digital only format in my phone.
currently, it only reads the myki because the CC doesnt give it valid data i presume (or it requests the myki header)… if the CC becomes valid will it be requesting both?, erroring due to both?, defaulting to one or other? And if the latter, which is the default option? one would hope myki but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@David for the amount of money this transition is costing i’d hope this is something that is being tested and there will be clear advice around :D
Is this another example of infrastructure upgrades but no changes to the service or experience for the traveller?
Myki passes are a remnant of the past system, just as off-peak and Sunday AM frequencies are remnants. Just like off-peak frequencies, Fare caps are long overdue
@David, if you have an iPhone, there is an option on iOS to set one digital debit/credit card as your ‘express transit card’ which automatically selects that card at a fare gate and doesn’t require Face ID or a passcode. Doesn’t work in melb or help if you have an Android