AN upgrade to the public transport ticketing system in Canberra set to replace MyWay has been delayed to 2023, after negotiations between the ACT government and the preferred contractor fell through.

The ACT government announced yesterday (January 14) that the contract to upgrade the bus and light rail ticketing system, promised to be awarded by mid-2020, will now go to open tender.

It has been said the upgrade will include more flexible payment options, including a tap on/off credit card system and a real time app that tracks customer’s services and journeys.

“It’s disappointing that we did not get the outcome we had hoped, but we still remain committed to procuring a new public transport ticketing system for Canberra,” said Transport Minister Chris Steel.

“We want a ticketing system that provides the right technology solution for our city but it has to be a system that is value for money.”

Shadow transport minister Mark Parton and the Canberra Liberals have attacked the government, claiming that they have broken another promise to Canberra residents.

“The government started talking about this new ticketing system during the 2016 election and set funding aside in the 2017 budget, promising to replace the outdated ‘MyWay’ system,” Mr Parton said.

“Labor and the Greens say they want to get more people using the network, but this tells me they really don’t care.”

If implemented, credit cards that could be used as part of a ticketing system would instantly open the transport network up to thousands of new customers.

“CityNews” has contacted the government for further comment.