WA public transport tap-on system delayed by 18 months

WA commuters hoping to tap on with their phones or credit cards for public transport will have to wait even longer—again. The long-promised upgrade is now 18 months behind schedule, with yet another delay pushing it back to the end of this year.

Transport Minister Rita Saffioti had set a mid-year target for the rollout, already a year late, but Premier Roger Cook admitted this week that the project has blown out even further. The issue? Installing payment machines on buses. So far, only 400 of the 1750-strong fleet have been fitted with the new tech.

Liberal leader Libby Mettam has slammed the Labor government over the delays, saying it’s yet another example of their failure to manage major transport projects.