Victoria’s public transport fare system is about to get an overhaul, with a new company taking over the job by the end of the year.

American service provider Conduent – which has delivered and operates ticketing systems in cities like Paris, Dubai, Montreal and New Jersey – has signed a new 15-year contract with the Victorian Government, taking over from current operator NTT Data. The contract starts in December.

Planned improvements to the Myki system include allowing passengers to tap on and off with their debit or credit cards, as well as allowing more customers (not just Android users) to pay with a digital wallet through their smartphone or smart watch.

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“We’ve made improvements to Myki over the past seven years and now this new contract will provide a greater benefit to passengers – using proven technology to make it quicker and easier to top up, touch on and travel,” public transport minister Ben Carroll said in a statement.

Bank-card fare payments have been available in Sydney since 2018, with Adelaide following in 2020.

Trials of the new features are set to start in 2024, with public rollout taking place over the following year or two. The Age reports that Myki cards will remain functional across the public transport system for the next two years.

The announcement comes after the government introduced a regional fare cap on March 31, with all travel fares throughout the entire Victorian network – including V/Line – now capped at the same daily rates as travel within metropolitan Melbourne.