Dormant Opal card funds will be spent on more transport facilities like bike lockers, the NSW Government says.
A Bill that is going before state parliament this week seeks to empower Transport for NSW to claim credit balances on cards that have not been used for at least five years.
There will be an estimated 17 million Opal cards with credit balances that will not have been used for five years by 2026-27, the government says.
It believes many are unregistered cards bought by interstate or international visitors who have purchased one-off Opal credit on unregistered cards.
The average unused balance per card is $4 with an estimated $70 million in untapped cards.
The government will kick off a 12-month awareness campaign ahead of the start date for recovery to allow card holders to reclaim their funds
Unregistered cardholders cannot be contacted directly, the government points out.
Government says this one-off revenue source can be spent on active transport initiatives like more Opal bike lockers and a better system for shared e-bikes, including taking them off footpaths.
The Bill intends to change the Passenger Transport Act 2014 to allow Transport for NSW to recover unused balances under a new scheme.
The current terms of use cannot be amended without user consent, which requires a tap-on event.
NSW Transport Minister John Graham says “Sydney is a magnet for visitors which is one reason why there may be so many Opal cards – 17 million – left unused with dormant balances for five years or more”.
OPAL ROUTE ADDITION
The network recently expanded with the addition of the ferry route between Brooklyn, Little Wobby and Dangar Island wharfs.
The government says that due to the isolated locations of the other wharfs, a single card reader will be stationed at Brooklyn Ferry Wharf; passengers on the route will be charged a single fare when they tap the reader.
EARLIER OPAL NEWS: Two-day fare-free trial service announced
