Opal Discussion and Observations

[Passenger 57]

Does anyone know what this really means? In particular, is it an emulation of the physical Opal card, i.e. stored value or a digital version of a prepaid contactless offering or something else yet again?

[Swift]

For the second time, I mistakenly tapped my debit card on the Opal reader in the bus the other day. The other time I was at a train station and the station attendant said to tap again and it reversed it.
On the bus it wouldn't reverse. I didn't realise you have to wait 15 secs first as I had at the train station by asking the attendant.
Fortunately, it doesn't seem to have shown up in my banking app. This facility is a PITA to me as I always use my debit card and don't catch PT very often lately.

[boxythingy]

https://transportnsw.info/news/2020/imp ... travel-app

Obviously one of the not mentioned new features is the removal of fare estimates!

Does anyone know what this really means? In particular, is it an emulation of the physical Opal card, i.e. stored value or a digital version of a prepaid contactless offering or something else yet again?

How to sign up to the trial?

[moa999]

Does anyone know what this really means? In particular, is it an emulation of the physical Opal card, i.e. stored value or a digital version of a prepaid contactless offering or something else yet again?

Given Mastercards involvement, it seems that its basically a debit Mastercard.

Which means it will work the same as credit cards - no immediate fare feedback, no near realtime activity, just a daily backoffice reconciliation.

On the bus it wouldn't reverse. I didn't realise you have to wait 15 secs first

Designed to prevent accidental tap-on/reverse.
But another pain with the lack of feedback on non-Opal cards.

[verbatim9]

Does anyone know what this really means? In particular, is it an emulation of the physical Opal card, i.e. stored value or a digital version of a prepaid contactless offering or something else yet again?

Given Mastercards involvement, it seems that its basically a debit Mastercard.

Which means it will work the same as credit cards - no immediate fare feedback, no near realtime activity, just a daily backoffice reconciliation.

On the bus it wouldn't reverse. I didn't realise you have to wait 15 secs first

Designed to prevent accidental tap-on/reverse.
But another pain with the lack of feedback on non-Opal cards.

It's to prevent fare evasion. People used to tap on at the front of the bus then tap off are the rear door while walking to back of the bus. Apparently they only make the reader at the front of the bus reverse compatible.

[Swift]

Great Information guys.
The problem in the bus is getting the driver to wait otherwise you get charged a fare at the next stop!

[Passenger 57]

Given Mastercards involvement, it seems that its basically a debit Mastercard.

Which means it will work the same as credit cards - no immediate fare feedback, no near realtime activity, just a daily backoffice reconciliation.

Hopefully, it will offer more than this when released but the press release lacked any detail whatsoever. I suppose it makes sense to avoid announcing functionality that may be delayed or abandoned. It also leaves space for more announceables.

To speculate, it would have to at least expand the range of top-up options beyond scheme credit/debit.
I believe its possible to provide more feedback via the digital wallets too. While I presume this doesn't need a digital card they may just release the functionality at the same time.
I believe the web portal is a bit deficient for contactless so presumably that will need to be improved if it is marketed as a digital Opal card rather than digital contactless.

Once publicly released, digital cards, would seemingly provide yet another opportunity for imposing issuing fees on physical cards.

[boxythingy]

Opal Card app updated again, with notifications sent to you 30min before your usual train trips advising about crowdedness levels.

Too bad I have been encouraged to switch over to using other payment methods and so have no data from the past 19 days through a registered Opal card in the app, meaning it's another useless piece of "new technology" touted by the Minister of Transport. You'd also think priority would be for buses and light rail which are more confined modes and the science says risk is higher in confined and less ventilated areas compared with open and air flowing places of which a double decker railway carriage would be closer to the latter on the spectrum.

I really do not know what this new feature is actually about other than a way to increasing revenue through increased chances of people reaching their weekly caps much quicker with the higher fares and larger peak hour windows. I can see how this will benefit an employee who deals with WA/(SE) Asia clients (2-3 hours) behind and their preference is working in an office environment away from home whilst enjoying off peak travel to and from work because their usual work hours have shifted by 3 hours e.g. from 9am-5pm to 12-8pm

New technology to alert Sydney commuters about full trains
By Josh Dye
Sydney commuters will be able to receive real-time notifications about the capacity of their train service via new technology.

The opt-in system will be available to registered Opal card holders who have the Opal app on their mobile phone.

Commuters will be able to receive alerts half an hour before their regular train to see how full it is.

NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance touted the new technology as “a world-leading piece of innovation”.

The system will be rolled out on buses and light rail at a later date.

Mr Constance said there has not yet been evidence of COVID-19 spreading by community transmission on public transport, although he acknowledged it could have occurred.

He urged people to wear masks on public transport but said they would not become mandatory.

“I don’t want to create a culture where we start having these big sticks waved to the community and the community don’t hear and respond to the messaging that’s going out,” Mr Constance said. “We don’t need to put punitive measures in place, fining people and denying them a service.”

[marcnut1996]

https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/news-a ... -customers

Opal digital card: convenience for customers
Published 8 Dec 2020
Customers travelling across the Opal network can now register to trial the Opal digital card which will enable them to tap on and off public transport using the digital wallet on their smart phone or watch.

“We have seen the increased popularity of using a digital wallet to conduct shopping and access membership cards, so we’re delighted to be taking Opal digitally for the first time while providing the same Opal card benefits to adult customers,” a Transport for NSW spokesperson said.

“Opal users will be able to register their interest through the transportnsw.info website and will be notified whether they have been successful in the trial over the coming weeks.”

Following a competitive tender process, Transport for New South Wales is partnering with Mastercard, Commonwealth Bank of Australia and EML Payments Limited to deliver the trial.

The Opal digital card can be added to Apple Wallet on iPhone or Apple Watch, Samsung Pay on Samsung phones, and will also be available in Google Pay shortly.

The spokesperson said the Opal digital card is another measure taken by the NSW Government to deliver accessibility and improved choices for customers.

“With so many different contactless payment solutions going digital, we look forward to seeing the benefit and convenience customers will experience from being able to move around the network using their smart phone or watch.

“This trial will enable us to listen to Opal users feedback, expectations and preferences and continue to enhance the experience for people travelling on the network.”

The Opal digital card will be trialled by up to 10,000 Adult Opal customers and will run for 12 months.

To check your eligibility and sign up for the trial visit https://transportnsw.info/opal-digital-card.

[boxythingy]

Oh guess what, less than half a day and all 10,000 insiders (including those enthusiasts with multiple devices/accounts) have already occupied all trial slots

[verbatim9]

Transport NSW---> Opal Digital Card Trial

[Fleet Lists]

Oh guess what, less than half a day and all 10,000 insiders (including those enthusiasts with multiple devices/accounts) have already occupied all trial slots

The message that I got yesterday, has now gone so was that just something that happened before the system was fully operational?

[boxythingy]

Am I too late again...?

[Fleet Lists]

The "You will be contacted via email in the coming months if selected" makes me think you were NOT too late but like others who applied, you will need to wait and see if you are selected from those who have applied.

Keep us advised as to what happens.

Has anyone on the board actually been successful and if so,when does the actual trial starts?

As I am a Gold Card holder, I can not apply.

[boxythingy]

I got the error which noted "10,000" the day before

[boxythingy]

I don't understand, have 10,000 digital cards already been issued or are they still in the process of going through registrations pending being issued?

https://www.itnews.com.au/news/digital- ... hed-559289

[https://ci3]                                                               [https://ci5]

Hi,

Thanks for registering your interest in trialling the Opal digital card.

The response has been overwhelmingly positive. Our team is currently busy working through the applications so we can test the card on a range of device types and operating systems.

If your application is successful, you will be contacted via email with further instructions on how to participate by March 2021 at the latest.

In the meantime, you can find out more about the Opal digital card at transportnsw.info/opal-digital

Thank you in advance for your patience.

 

Regards,
Transport for NSW

[Fleet Lists]

My understanding is that they are still going through the registration process pending being issued.

[boronia]

March is 3 months away. Don't be impatient,

[CityRail]

I wonder do contact tracers have access to Opal Card checking so that they can understand what time patients went on a particular train/bus whilst infectous?

What if someone commits fare evasion? How can they trace in this regard?

[jpp42]

Yes contact tracers can access Opal data but it only helps for those using registered Opal cards. There are lots of unregistered cards out there.

[Newcastle Flyer]

But can't you already tell how full a public transport mode is, and now also what carriage of a train is on XYZ station?

[ed24]

I wonder do contact tracers have access to Opal Card checking so that they can understand what time patients went on a particular train/bus whilst infectous?

I noticed last week one of the cases was stated to travel from Roseville to Redfern in about 40 minutes - I'm guessing this was based on Opal data rather than the actual train considering the train itself would have only taken around 30 minutes.

[Campbelltown busboy]

I wonder do contact tracers have access to Opal Card checking so that they can understand what time patients went on a particular train/bus whilst infectous?

What if someone commits fare evasion? How can they trace in this regard?

When to comes to trains they would need to put a QR code at each end of a carriage would be easier then trying to retrieve active bus fleet allocation lists off operators when it comes to active on road vehicles that are allocated to a driver for his or her shift when tracking cases on public transport

[hornetfig]

Yes contact tracers can access Opal data but it only helps for those using registered Opal cards. There are lots of unregistered cards out there.

If you possess the card, you could just tell the contact tracing team the number of the card and then it can be searched. Even more big brother: if you can tell the contact tracing team what time you got on and off which services and where, your card can probably be deanonymised.

[Linto63]

IIRC Opal cards expire after 9 years. With the first trial commencing in December 2012, this will begin to take effect later this year. Hope there is a plan to communicate this.