The Government of Victoria may drop the problem-plagued myki smart ticketing system altogether, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
Called “a mess” by Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder, the $1.35 billion system has weathered technical issues and rising costs on top of a three year delay. Accounting firm Deloitte says that the cost of cutting the cord now could be as much as $1 billion.
Myki, which has been available to Melbourne commuters since last July, is being run alongside Metcard, the previous ticketing system.
According to the Herald, Vix Technology, manager of the Metcard system, has offered to develop an alternative to myki that the company says will save the Government $100 million. Several other companies have stepped in with proposals as well, but Mulder has refused to hear them until a full government inquiry into the system is complete.
Kamco, the company in responsible for building and operating myki, was awarded the nearly $500 million contract in July 2005. So far the company has been paid $150 million.
Kamco spokesman John Ferguson maintains that the myki system is fully operational, stating that Kamco “looks forward to the results of the government inquiry into myki so we can complete the last phase of the project.”
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