Contactless Tap and Go across all buses starts today (with big benefits for airport travellers)

As noted last week, today marks the day that all bus routes in Melbourne will be accepting credit and debit card full fare payment. This adds buses to trains and trams that have already been transitioned over. The benefits for buses are particularly high. Myki worked well for regular train commuters. Every Metro station had a card vending and top up machine. Regular commuting was a frequent and habitual activity and the one-off $6 Myki card purchase cost was neither here nor there. Buses though were different. They attract a different mix of trips, including those that are not frequently made. People wishing to travel might not have a Myki card, and even if they did the ability to top up on a bus was removed during the pandemic and not reinstated since. So bus fare evasion went through the roof and the government appeared to both deny and do nothing about the problem. All while depressing bus usage amongst honest but occasional travellers who did not have a Myki. Trams had similar…