Victorian Premier John Brumby Landscaping Contractor
Victorian Premier John Brumby did not rule out on Monday giving transport ticketing company Kamco more money to deliver Melbourne’s new ticketing system dubbed myki.
Responding to reports that the US-based consortium is asking for more time and taxpayers’ money to deliver the $500 million smartcard project, Mr Brumby confirmed Kamco and the government’s Transport Ticketing Authority were negotiating.
Asked if he was ruling out giving Kamco more money, he said he had not yet been briefed on the negotiations.
“I’ve said to you today that there are negotiations between the ticketing authority and between the contractors, Kamco,” Mr Brumby told reporters in Melbourne.
“I’m not party to those negotiations. I’ll be advised in due course. But we want to make sure we get the system right.”
The myki system was scheduled to kick off last March, but the rollout has already been postponed 15 months to next June due to computer problems.
“So it is running over time, it is overdue, there have been delays, and I’m very conscious of that, and I know there are negotiations between the ticketing authority and the contractors,” Mr Brumby said.
“But from a state government point of view, we want to make sure that this (system) is right.”
He said there would be trials early in 2008, with myki to be launched in full during the year.
As with smartcard systems used in London and Hong Kong, commuters will carry plastic myki cards to be scanned by an electronic reader as they get on and off public transport.
Mr Brumby today said the system would give passengers “unprecedented” ease of travel and value, and help the government plan future transport systems.
The current “antiquated” system will be replaced with one of the best in the world, he said.
But Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu said Kamco’s request for more money was “a sham” and Mr Brumby should scrap myki rather than pay more.
“The winning bidder, the ones who have the contract to deliver the tickets on time and on budget, now want more money,” Mr Baillieu told reporters in Melbourne.
“Who’s going to pay if John Brumby rolls over? Taxpayers are going to pay. They’ve (Kamco) got a contract - they should be held to it, or John Brumby should wear the embarrassment of walking away from a system which has been a debacle from the start.”
Mr Baillieu said myki was not the best system available.
“It will require people to check in and out of every public transport vehicle they get onto,” he said.
“That’s going to be difficult and there are plenty of transport commentators and experts who say this isn’t smarter ticketing, this is dumber ticketing, and the bill is going up.”
Tags: andscaping Contractor, Landscaping, Landscaping Contractor, money0
