Opal & Uber Team Up For World First Transport Trial
A world first initiative was announced by the NSW government on Tuesday morning, allowing Opal Transport cards to be used on various ride-sharing or alternative transport services. Starting sometime in the middle of the year, 10,000 trial participants will be able to pay for Uber lifts, Lime Bikes, or a variety of other transport options with their Opal card. First to break the news, the Sydney Morning Herald also noted that travellers are incentivised to do so with 3$ of Opal credit per trip.
The trial aims to provide alternative options of travel to NSW residents to decrease traffic and congestion, and is part of a shift in strategy towards ‘Mobility as a service.’
A similar trial was conducted by The University of Sydney, with particpants experiencing a subsidy on Uber travel over five dollars if it was used to reach other forms of public transport.