Latest news with #SmartRider
ABC News
4 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
SmartRider public transport upgrade among IT projects over budget, WA auditor-general finds
Perth residents are no closer to being able to use their phones or debit cards to tag on for public transport because a highly anticipated SmartRider upgrade is six-and-a-half years behind schedule and way over budget. That's one of the findings of a new auditor-general report that revealed most of the WA government's major IT projects have blown out in cost and time, and that called for better transparency. The auditor-general's office looked at 10 major projects being delivered by the government, including the firearms licensing and registering system and electronic medical records. In total, those projects are currently $1.6 billion over budget, with eight of them delayed. The SmartRider technology is already used in many other capital cities across the globe, but the report revealed its introduction in WA is significantly behind schedule, with the project not due to be completed until June 2026. It was originally supposed to be finished by December 2019. A central agency called the Office of Digital Government (DGov) is tasked with overseeing the digital transformation of the public sector, but it is not involved in every state government IT project. "The projects that were subject to these oversight mechanisms and solid frameworks actually performed much better," WA Auditor-General Caroline Spencer told ABC Radio Perth. "It's the ones that were internally funded … that didn't have those good project governance and oversight mechanisms that had the biggest problems." That includes the SmartRider technology, which the report estimated will come in about $7 million over budget. Premier Roger Cook said it was likely projects involving complex IT systems, like the SmartRider upgrade, blew out because of developments in technology. "Particularly as the IT evolves over the term of that program, you are given new opportunities around scope," he said. "In the ticketing system in the [Public Transport Authority], as they're starting to get to the back-end of that program, other opportunities come up. "[It's] still a $60 million program. We've been given the opportunity to capture other issues which expands the scope of that and may expand the cost, but no decision has been made in relation to that." Information on the status and cost of these projects is not readily available to the taxpayer. Ms Spencer said it was even difficult for her office to access it because figures in annual reports and budget papers tended to be inconsistent. "Good reporting and transparency is really, really important to decision-makers to make sure that when a project gets off track, informed decisions are made to bring it on track, and they don't just linger and run on without proper scrutiny and oversight," she said. The report provided an example of what a digital dashboard could look like to make the information public. But Ms Spencer said while improvements were being made, nothing had been set in stone. "The commitment to increasing transparency of major projects, whether they be infrastructure projects or IT projects, is still a work in progress," she said.
Perth Now
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Man attempts a day out in Perth with a $50 budget
Perth locals and visitors alike will announce that we are an expensive city — especially during a cost-of-living crisis. However, British content creator George Redfern has put together a video on 'how to' enjoy Perth with only $50 for a full day of eating, activities and getting around. In the video, Redfern explores the city on a Sunday where, with a valid SmartRider, travel on trains, buses and ferries is currently free. He headed to Kings Park, commenting on the views and lush fauna, then made his way to the CBD to popular local toasted sandwich shop Toastface Grillah, spending $10 for his coffee and snack. George Refern Credit: YouTube Redfern then travelled to Herrison Island to see the kangaroos. His activities took him for a hit at the Wembley Golf Course driving range ($13) and then a takeaway alcoholic drink on Cottesloe beach ($5) — with the creator failing to realise drinking alcohol in public places is illegal in Western Australia and can attract up to a $2,000 fine. That could have put a serious dent in his budget. He finished the day in Subiaco, where he ate a plate of fish and chips for dinner. He added that he was surprised by the $18 price tag and the crispness of the chips, something he had not experienced in his native UK. He added a can of soft drink for $3. His total for the day was $49. Whether the creator has shown the best sides of Perth on a budget, or is just after hits and subscribers, is up to locals to decide. George Redfern has nearly five thousand YouTube subscribers and a moderate following on social media with his videos focusing on travelling on a budget — often staying at accommodation on the lower end of the market. After landing in Perth, Redfern put his content creation skills to good use showcasing his take on things sandgropers take for granted.
West Australian
22-05-2025
- Politics
- West Australian
Tagging on for free travel with SmartRider a sign of ‘respect for the system' says Rita Saffioti
Rules mandating passengers tag on to public transport to travel for free show 'respect for the system,' Acting Premier Rita Saffioti believes. Speaking after The West Australian reveal almost 7000 people had been fined for travelling without a ticket on free Sundays since last year, Ms Saffioti maintained the message was getting through to patrons. 'I am absolutely confident that the community has the message,' Ms Saffioti said. 'We're talking about respect today, there are rules when you catch public transport, and the rule is to catch a free public transport, you need a SmartRider. 'We have millions of SmartRiders out there in the community. We've run programs for people to access our SmartRiders, but it's a basic rule, and it's a basic part of the respect of the system and making sure, in particular, that everyone abides by the rules.' The minister said the rates of those fined represented less than one per cent of all riders. '(There are) 99.86 per cent who abide by the rules who don't feel like they've been taken advantage of. 'If people have been fined, and there's legitimate reasons why they didn't have a smart rider, they can apply to the PTA to have that to have that fine waived. New data revealed under Parliamentary questioning showed 6668 fines — more than 100 a week — were issued for ticketing issues since the start of the free travel in February 2024. The almost $700,000 in fines were doled out because people failed to tag on with their SmartRider to use the train or bus on Sundays — a requirement to travel for free as part of the Government's program.
West Australian
21-05-2025
- Politics
- West Australian
Thousands slapped with fines for failing to tap SmartRider during free Sunday travel on trains and buses
Almost 7000 people have been stung with $100 fines for using public transport during times when it was supposed to be free. New data revealed under Parliamentary questioning shows 6668 fines — more than 100 a week — were issued for ticketing issues since the start of the free travel in February 2024. The almost $700,000 in fines were doled out because people failed to tag on with their SmartRider to use the train or bus on Sundays — a requirement to travel for free as part of the Government's program. But those stung on Sundays haven't been the only passengers caught out, with more than 1000 students fined for failing to tag on under free travel to and from school. And over the 'free' summer period, more than 1100 people were also slapped with a ticket. The cash-grab comes after the 'fines for travelling free' issue was raised during the State election campaign, with both the Liberals and the Greens calling for the infringements to be waived. The Public Transport Authority's response to shadow transport minister Steve Martin's questions said the Sunday fines were only 0.143 per cent of passengers. 'Passengers always require a valid ticket to travel on Transperth services, unless stated otherwise. The condition for free travel on Sundays is the use of a SmartRider,' the answer said. To access the free travel, passengers must tag on with a SmartRider, which can be purchased for $10, before requiring value added to the card. Mr Martin criticised the fines issued by the Public Transport Authority. 'Labor's free public transport on Sunday obviously isn't free for everyone,' he said. 'Labor are handing out over 100 fines to travellers on public transport every Sunday despite claiming to offer free transport. 'Transport Minister Rita Saffioti is also clearly embarrassed by the amount of fines because she refused to answer questions on how much Western Australians are paying.' Ms Saffioti said she believed the message was getting through to travellers about the need for a SmartRider. 'This is a part of the package — free public transport on Sunday, free public transport for kids going to school and we had the free summer of public transport. 'It's getting through. Most people have SmartRiders. People accept there's rules when you undertake free public transport, and that's one of the rules. 'We've introduced a range of initiatives. It's about getting people mobile, connected to their community, getting people out and about, and using our wonderful public transport system.' Ms Saffioti spoke about the fines at the unveiling of the last diesel-powered Transperth bus, which will roll out of a Malaga factory on Wednesday. Under a Labor election commitment, all future buses made in Western Australia will be electric, with Ms Saffioti saying the diesel fleet would be slowly phased out over the next two decades. The new electric buses will be rolled out once local depots are upgraded with electric vehicle chargers. The first will be Malaga, with Karrinyup following afterwards and then Claisebrook. 'This is a very big initiative for the state. It means there's far less CO2 emissions, and every diesel bus on the network uses around 22,000 litres of diesel fuel each year,' she said. 'That equates to around 40 tonnes of CO2 emissions. 'Electric busses, of course, emit no CO2 emissions, and as we continue to work to decarbonise the entire electricity system, we know that this is going to be cleaner and cleaner through the future.'
NDTV
15-05-2025
- NDTV
Misspelt Name Lands Australian Man In Jail Twice
A man was wrongfully arrested twice and held overnight in jail after an emergency dispatcher misspelt his name. The Western Australia Police misspelt the man's name as Mark Smith, whose real name was Marc Smith. The incident occurred in January 2023 when a man reported to Triple Zero, Australia's national emergency number, that another man was attempting to steal his sailboat. The alleged offender called emergency services at the same time to inform them that he felt threatened by the boat owner and asked for police help, The New York Post reported. As a result, authorities mistook the suspect's name for that of another individual who had an ongoing arrest warrant for breach of bail and had nothing to do with the case. They misspelt the name of the suspect, writing it as Mark instead of Marc. The officers gathered statements from both men, but they neglected to verify the information of the alleged offender. Unaware of his real name and address, they discovered that he owned a public transport SmartRider that did not belong to him. The individual was arrested on suspicion of having an outstanding warrant, stealing a boat, and possessing a stolen SmartRider. Officers took him to the police station, scanned his fingerprints, but they did not wait for the ten-minute process to verify if they matched those already in the system. The man attempted to inform the authorities that his name was misspelt, but they did not verify it, and he was not questioned about any further information. He was detained overnight without being granted bail. A magistrate discovered the error the next day and had the man's charges dropped. However, three months later, authorities repeated the blunder. The same man and his caretaker went to the same police station to ask for help. They detained him a second time after he noticed his picture was linked to the other Mark's pending warrant. The individual informed police that he had been unfairly arrested twice for incorrectly spelling his name and that he was released following further investigation. The WA Corruption and Crime Commission (WA CCC) condemned the authorities for two erroneous detentions of the same name. They filed a report criticising the police for their wrongdoings due to the repeated mistakes. The officers involved chose not to take part, and the internal assessment concluded that there was insufficient evidence to accuse them of deprivation of liberty.
