Some Canberra commuters struggle to navigate MyWay+ almost two months after launch

Nearly two months after the launch of Canberra’s new public transport ticketing system, some travelers are still struggling to navigate it.

MyWay+ promised to be an easier way to plan and pay for your trip, but for Zannat Siddiquy, she prefers to go back in time.

“I love the old (system),” she said while waiting for her bus.

“I don’t like the new MyWay+.”

“When I press or pull, most of the time it doesn’t work.”

At the same bus stop, Puteho Puteho said he faced similar problems.

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“This morning I couldn’t type it and I’m not sure what’s going to happen in the afternoon,” he said.

“There are some forms of confusion but we are dealing with it.”

As well as introducing a real-time journey planner and live service updates, the new system allows Canberrans to enter and exit with select contactless bank cards, digital cards or via a new app .

There is also a MyWay+ card, which is the preferred option for Davis Davis commuters, but the transition hasn’t been easy.

“It’s not like the old card where you could just go to any newsagents and charge it – most news agencies don’t charge it,” he said.

“They expect everything to be done online and some people like me don’t care about online.

“And I don’t like using my credit card on buses because I don’t trust them.”

“Still a long way to go”

A man with short brown hair and black glasses looks serious. — Canberra Public Transport Association president Ryan Hemsley said Transport Canberra made a mistake when it launched the MyWay+ system in November. (ABC News: Adam Kennedy)

At the Canberra Bus Interchange, Canberra Public Transport Association president Ryan Hemsley uses the MyWay+ app to plan his trip to Denman Prospect in Canberra’s south.

The first option offered by the app is to use a motorbike to make the journey, followed by car, bicycle, walking and taxi.

Scrolling down, the possibility of traveling by bus is finally offered.

Mr Hemsley said while, for the most part, the system’s core functions were now working, it was a mistake for Transport Canberra to launch the system when it did.

“It wasn’t ready in November, and clearly it’s still not ready now,” he said.

“We are seeing some incremental improvements, but there is still a long way to go.”

He described the MyWay+ online portal as a “visual disaster”, arguing that the website needed to be “built from the ground up”, particularly targeting updates to the system’s live services.

A public bus with an envelope on the back that says "My way+". — An ACT Legislative Assembly committee is investigating the purchase and delivery of the MyWay+ system. (Facebook: Transport Canberra)

“Real-time tracking is not exactly real-time,” Mr. Hemsley said.

“It still won’t tell you if your bus leaves early and given that 10 per cent of Canberra’s buses leave early, that’s critical information currently missing.

“We don’t think it was a good idea to launch real-time trip planning when it doesn’t actually tell you where your bus is.”

Transport Canberra ‘improves the system’

Transport Canberra deputy chief executive Ben McHugh said he was “really comfortable” with how the system was setting up in the city.

“We have continually improved the system over time,” he said.

“The connections and connections have made real improvements. The functionality of the system, the real-time passenger information, all those things are really starting to take hold.”

A man stands outside the ACT Legislative Assembly building. — Transport Canberra’s Ben McHugh says more than 60,000 MyWay+ cards have been distributed, with another 200,000 cards in stock. (ABC News: Lottie Twyford)

Mr McHugh said various issues, including the trip planner, had been fixed with recent updates.

“We are committed to ensuring that all of these interfaces, both the web portal and the application, are accessible to all users,” he said.

“We will continue to work with the community, taking into account all their feedback, to ensure the system works for everyone.”

There are currently no penalties for users who fail to log in, but McHugh noted that they will soon be charging users again.

He also said audio announcements on buses would be tested over the coming weeks.

More than 86,000 MyWay+ accounts have now been created, with more than 60,000 cards distributed.

Mr McHugh said there were an additional 200,000 cards in stock and almost 50 retailers were now on board.

He said negotiations were underway with major supermarkets to also offer MyWay+ cards.

A committee of the ACT Legislative Assembly has been tasked with investigating the purchase and delivery of the bug-riddled MyWay+ system, with the final report expected in June.

Transport Canberra previously announced it would release updates to the MyWay+ system to improve the customer experience and encouraged users to ensure their MyWay+ app is the latest version available.