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A world first initiative was announced by the NSW government on Tuesday morning, allowing Opal Transport cards to be used on various ride-sharing or alternative transport services. Starting sometime in the middle of the year, 10,000 trial participants will be able to pay for Uber lifts, Lime Bikes, or a variety of other transport options with their Opal card. First to break the news, the Sydney Morning Herald also noted that travellers are incentivised to do so with 3$ of Opal credit per trip.
The trial aims to provide alternative options of travel to NSW residents to decrease traffic and congestion, and is part of a shift in strategy towards ‘Mobility as a service.’
A similar trial was conducted by The University of Sydney, with particpants experiencing a subsidy on Uber travel over five dollars if it was used to reach other forms of public transport.
Produced By: Ryan Stanton
Featured In Story: Dr Geoffrey Clifton, Senior Lecturer in Transport and Logistics Management at The University of Sydney, and Dr Chinh Ho, Senior Lecturer at the University of Sydney Business School
First aired on The Wire, Tuesday 30th March 2021