NSW and the ACT to work on better public transport integration and shared ticketing systems

NSW Regional Transport Minister Paul Toole launched an expanded and streamlined bus network linking Queanbeyan, Googong, and the expanding area of South Jerrabomberra with the ACT on Monday, and his ACT counterpart Chris Steel said a working party had been established to look for ways to integrate the two networks.

Mr Toole described cross-border public transport integration as a "conversation we have to have" with the ACT, with a shared-ticketing system identified as one of the major stumbling blocks for easier travel.

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A memorandum of understanding (MoU) on transport and other important shared cross-border services such as health was signed back in 2020 but the arrival of the COVID pandemic slowed progress.

With a next NSW election looming in two months, the need to move on the issue and in doing so, help shore up the re-election prospects of local Nationals member Nichole Overall, has brought fresh impetus to these and other issues over the border.

"Those conversations are advancing and I have had a number of meetings with the cross-border commissioner James McTavish about precisely these matters," Ms Overall said.

"In terms of the MoU and the concrete detail, that hasn't emerged at this point in time.

"It is something we will continue to look at; obviously we have an election in 62 days' time and they're the type of things we will continue to take forward after that [election] has occurred and be able to have something more concrete in terms of the detail."

Mr Steel said the ACT government would soon make an announcement on the future of its ticketing system, which will be a long-awaited replacement for the more than decade-old MyWay card-based system.

"Ticketing is one of those [issues], bus services is another," Mr Steel said.

"There are some challenges there industrially, but we're certainly keen to make sure there's better connections between the two jurisdictions.

"Hopefully there might be opportunities for potentially [NSW bus operator] QCity to link in with our new ticketing system or for the NSW government's new ticketing system to link in with our new ticketing system so they work seamlessly together," Mr Steel said.

"Our system will provide a modern flexible ticketing system that will reduce barriers to using public transport by enabling people to pay for public transport using their mobile phone, while they're on board rather than beforehand, as well as providing access by way of credit card, EFTPOS card or other means like using a swipe-on card, like we currently have."

The new Queanbeyan-based cross-border CDC Canberra bus network and scheduling began on January 23 while Canberra's revised service will begin on January 30, with cuts made to the timetable, the government has said, to cope with increased congestion on the road network due to light rail work.

The timetable was first released quietly before Christmas.

Rapid bus routes will operate at least every 15 minutes between 7am and 7pm on weekdays. However, some local services will be reduced to an hourly off-peak frequency from next week, which Mr Steel said would prioritise reliability of the network.

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