SHANE Rattenbury says from Monday May 18 the Route 202 that runs express from the Gungahlin town centre to the City will not be taking cash payments.

“The Route 202 service was introduced under Network 14 to provide a faster journey for commuters from the Gungahlin town centre during the morning peak,” Shane said.

“To prevent boarding delays and make a more efficient service, passengers will be required to use their MyWay cards when boarding, with no cash tickets to be sold on the bus. This will improve boarding times at stops in the Gungahlin town centre.

“With over 84 percent of public transport users in the ACT using pre-paid MyWay cards to catch ACTION services, and over 96 percent of users currently catching the Route 202 using a pre-paid MyWay card, transitioning to pre-pay only options is a logical next step.

“Cashless bus services are used worldwide and have proved popular with commuters. If the introduction of a cashless service is successful and welcomed by commuters in the ACT, the initiative could be considered for other routes in the future.”

“Using your MyWay card is a cheap and convenient way to travel, costing only $2.91 for a single adult fare, compared to $4.60 for a cash fare.

“Passengers who are unable to board using a MyWay card will still have a range of travel options on the Red Rapid transit corridor.

Shane says an additional range of improvements will be implemented from Monday May 18. The improvements are based on both network analysis and passenger feedback received since the introduction of Network 14.

“The service improvements will also see an increased number of buses travelling from the Gungahlin Market Place before 10 am each weekday. This will help address some crowding issues that have been experienced on the Red Rapid services.”