“For example, just to take it to the South East Queensland bus system, we will need 131⁄2 thousand facilities,” he said.
“So this is an epic program and putting all these different systems into one system takes some time.”
The new doors at Ferny Grove Station. Credit: Cameron Atfield
Bailey said it would allow Queensland visitors to use public transportation without having to buy a Go card.
“Imagine, for all those people who will come here for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, this system will have been in place for them for almost a decade,” he said.
“Most people will use it right now and it will be easy for people to come and enjoy the Games.”
The state government had initially planned for the scheme to be phased in across Queensland later this year, a goal that seemed unlikely when the Ferny Grove trial was announced.
Bailey defended the delay, citing international supply chain problems as a major logistical challenge.
“Here we are dealing with Cubic, which is an international company and they have put it somewhere else and they have done very well,” he said.
“Supply chains are under stress in many different projects.
“… Anything coming out of Shanghai and China right now is a big problem for the whole world economy.”
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Once fully operational, and after the trial period, Concession Passengers wishing to use the new payment methods will need to create an account linked to their preferred credit or debit account.
“So if you have a smart watch, you may have a credit or debit card, or a lot of people who cross paths with their cell phones or iPhones, so you feel comfortable linking them.” , he said.
“What you carry with you most often is probably what you choose.”