Study in Canberra Transport Guide – Bus

In Australia, public transport in many major cities is generally provided by a combination of buses, taxis and the metro (or train). However, this is not the case in Canberra. Although it is the location of Australia’s capital city. There is no metro (or train), so people usually travel by bus and taxi or drive their own car.

ACTION is the operator of bus services in Canberra. Canberra’s bus network consists of large and small bus stops located throughout the city. ACTION divides the bus routes into zones, with interchanges between zones. such as Tuggeranong, Woden, City and Belconnen. For those who rely on public transport, it’s convenient to live near several major transport hubs.

Canberra Bus Tickets

 

There are two ways to buy a ticket for a bus journey in Canberra. By cash or by swiping your bus card. Depending on who is buying the ticket, there are regular fares and discounted fares. Discounted fares are only available to those who are eligible for them as defined by the bus company. Such as secondary school students. Full-time university students and senior citizens. And you must show proof that you are eligible for the discount when you buy your ticket.

Buying Tickets in Cash

Normal fares: A$4 per single ticket; A$7.60 for a day ticket

Discounted fares: A$2 per single ticket; A$3.80 for a day pass.

Bus Cards

From 7 March 2011, Canberra public transport began to use a new card system. The bus card is MyWay, similar to the domestic public transport stored-value card. The first deposit of a certain amount of money can start using. MyWay is similar to a domestically stored value card. The MyWay card offers a significant discount on bus travel compared to buying a ticket with cash.

How do I get on a bus in Canberra?

Buses in Canberra are generally the same in every city. But the buses in Canberra are unique in terms of service intervals, stops and card systems, so it’s important to do your homework before travelling:

Check timetables and stops

Canberra buses run on a timetable, with each bus having its own fixed journey time. Buses run at long intervals, 20-30 minutes at peak times and up to an hour off-peak, so check your timetable. Also, check your route before you leave home and make sure you know where to get off the bus. Bus drivers in Canberra usually don’t announce stops.

If you are new to Canberra. you ask your roommate or host family which buses pass near your home, or go to the bus company’s special counters (usually in the big interchange centres). When travelling by bus here, it is important to be very familiar with the buses you often take. It is also best to wait for the bus 5 minutes in advance. The time specified on the bus timetable is only an approximate arrival time. It is very easy to miss the bus at some of the smaller bus stops. And you will have to wait for quite a long time if you miss a bus. Bus timetables are available free of charge at all bus card sales points, including university bus card service centres and newsagents. And you should also pay attention to the timetable when you change buses at the interchange.

Finding a Bus Stop

Along the bus routes, you can easily find yellow bus stops, usually with “Signal Bus” signs. Some small bus stops do not have obvious platforms. But only a wooden post with a “Bus Stop” sign on the side of the road. Some smaller bus stops have no visible platforms, just a wooden post with a “Bus Stop” sign on it, while some better ones have round booths for passengers to rest while waiting for the bus. Large interchanges will have several platforms and a passenger service centre that sells cards, free bus timetables provided and passenger complaints handled.

Introduction of Card Swiping

The card reader is at the front door of every bus near the driver, whether you get on or off the bus, you need to swipe the card so that the system can collect statistical information in order to better optimise the bus service network.

Tag on: When you get on the bus, put your card back to the reader. It takes less than a second to swipe your card and then you can go and find a seat!

Tag off: You need to swipe your card again before getting off the bus. Either at the front door where you boarded the bus or at the rear door reader (but usually the rear door only opens when you arrive at a major stop).

The card reader will light up when the card swiped:

Green = Card swiped successfully

Green + Yellow = Card successfully swiped but the card balance is less than AUD$10.

Yellow = successful card transaction but negative balance

Red = card failed, this may be due to: the card having expired, the card error message, the card balance being insufficient or the card being locked out of use.

Figure out the fares and how to ride the bus, and you’re ready to get out and ride. Canberra bus passengers usually greet the driver with good morning and good afternoon greetings when they get on the bus. When they get off the bus, everyone will say thank you to the driver, and the driver will be happy to answer everyone’s thanks. Greeting and thanking the driver on and off the bus has become the flowing scenery on Canberra’s buses.

Topping up

When do I Top up My Card?

When you swipe your card, if the card reader displays a “low-value threshold” and the green and yellow lights on the card reader are on at the same time. It means that your card balance has fallen below the threshold value of AUD$10 (discount cards are below AUD$5). And the system suggests that it is time to top up your card. If the card reader displays “insufficient funds” and beeps several times. It means that your card balance is no longer sufficient to pay for the journey. You need to buy a ticket from the driver in cash to continue travelling or get off the bus to top up your card before travelling.

How do I Top up My MyWay Bus Pass?

Unlike the old days when you had to buy a new bus ticket when it ran out. You can top up your MyWay card and continue to use it, and there are a number of ways to do this

Automatic top-up (MyWay card only used after registration)

You can set a certain amount of money to be transferred to your MyWay card directly from your bank account. And when your card is below AUD$8 per month (below AUD$5 for discount cards). The auto top-up function will immediately top up your MyWay card with the set amount of money. And must apply in advance to use this feature. You can fill in the application form at MyWay Centre, Canberra Connect Shopfront. By using the Auto Reload feature and successfully reloading the card, cardholders will receive a 5 per cent fare discount when travelling on the bus.

BPAY

Top up using your personal BPAY payment system. Open the BPAY payment system. Fill in the Biller Code number and Customer Reference numbers of the MyWay card that you want to top up. And then enter a certain amount of money to top up your MyWay card up to a maximum of AUD$190. After using the BPAY payment system and successfully reloading, cardholders will receive a 5% fare discount when travelling on the bus.

Pay online

Log on to the Canberra Transit website and you can top up your MyWay card online using your personal credit card. However, there is a minimum limit of AUD$20 per top-up and it takes up to 3 working days for the top-up amount to be credited to your MyWay card after the online payment has been made.

Top up Yourself at Designated Locations

Top up with cash or bank card at MyWay’s designated NewsAgent kiosks, MyWay Centre and Canberra Connect Shopfront at several Canberra interchanges.

What Top-up Nethods Will Give Me a 5% Fare Discount When Travelling?

If you top up your MyWay Card via either auto-reload autoload or BPAY, once the top-up is successful, the system will automatically give the cardholder a 5% fare discount when travelling on the bus.

It’s worth noting that the ability to take advantage of the 5% fare discount depends on how you last topped up your card. For example, if your most recent top-up was with Autoload or BPAY, you will receive a 5% fare discount when travelling. If your next top-up is not using either of these methods, for example, if you top-up with cash, you will not be able to continue to enjoy the 5% fare discount until you top-up again using either autoload or BPAY.

Lost or damaged card

With a new MyWay card, be sure to register it as soon as possible in order to protect the card balance. If the card doesn’t work anymore, the balance on the card can be transferred to a new card. If you haven’t registered your card, there’s no way to protect the balance. Registered MyWay cardholders can view their card balance information online and their MyWay swipe history is also available online.

Lost MyWay?

If you have registered your MyWay, the balance on your card is protected. Lost or Stolen MyWay Card Frozen and Not Working Properly. Call the bus service on 13 17 10, or go to the MyWay Centre or the Canberra Connect Shopfront at the Interchange. And simply provide your MyWay card number. Your login password to register your card as lost or stolen, and apply for a new MyWay card. And the staff will transfer the balance from the original card directly to the new card, at no cost to you. So you should register your MyWay card in time and remember your card number and password.

MyWay is not Working Properly?

If you suspect that your MyWay card does not work, you can put it on the card reader and swipe it. If the card is indeed faulty, there will be an error message on the card reader. At this point, you need to ask the bus driver whether he can let you continue your journey or if you have to buy a new ticket with cash.

If your MyWay card does not work, you should report your situation to the MyWay Centre or the Canberra Connect Shopfront at the Interchange. For those already registered, staff will transfer the balance from the original card directly to the new card.

If your MyWay card does not work due to physical factors or misuse, there will be a fee for a replacement card. Usually A$10 per card for standard cards. So take proper care of your MyWay card by keeping it in your wallet. But be careful to store it separately from other cards. Also, don’t expose your card to heat sources. Bending or punching holes in your card can cause damage to your MyWay card.

Failure of Card Readers on Buses

What If the Card Reader on the Bus Does not Swipe the Card on Board??

No matter how you try, you cannot swipe your card to board the bus Tag On. Then the passenger will be free of charge for this ride. And you should not swipe your card Tag Off when you get off the bus. Passengers can fill out an online feedback form by logging on to the bus website. And informing the bus department of when and on which route they encountered the failure of the card readers to work.

What If the Card Reader on the Bus Cannot Swipe the Card to Get off the Bus?

If you have swiped your Tag On card normally. But when you get off the bus you find that the card reader is not working. You can use the driver’s console to swipe your card to get off the bus. If this doesn’t work. Then passengers should record the details of their journey and report the situation to the MyWay Management Office by phone on 13 17 10.