The End of Met Ticket

Scratch tickets and old ‘punch card’ public transport tickets will be phased out from the end of this month as Melbourne’s transport operators continue a crackdown on fare evasion. The old, ‘manually’ date-marked tickets have been available for sale on some bus services and at a small number of east suburban and inner city retailers. However, with Metcard validators being introduced on National Bus Company, Portsea Bus and Peninsula Bus services, all metropolitan public transport customers will soon have the benefit of travelling by train, tram or bus with the one Metcard.

The roll-out of Metcards to the remaining bus companies means that bus customers will be able to pass through train station ticket barriers without having their ticket checked manually by an inspector. The completion of the Metcard roll-out will also make it harder for some people to fare evade. While the yellow punch cards and ‘scratchies’ have a date and month expiry punched or scratched into them, they do not carry a year in which the ticket is valid. Ticket inspectors understand some ‘serial’ fare evaders keep a year’s supply of the old punch cards for re-use every year. However, with the old manual tickets no longer on sale from the end of December 2001, the ‘scratchies’ and punch-cards will not be valid for travel from 1 February, 2002. The month-long January amnesty on manual tickets will allow remaining manual tickets to be used, but customers can still exchange un-used scratch tickets for Metcards until 30 June, 2002. Customers should note that the paper punch-cards will not be exchanged as they are not sold as advance-travel tickets (the expiry date is stamped on purchase for same-day travel). Scratch tickets can be exchanged at premium train stations for an equivalent Metcard. Posters at train stations and onboard buses will detail the phasing out of the old manual tickets and places to make exchanges. Leaflets will also be available from train stations and Metcard retailers to further explain the process.

The completion of the Metcard roll-out program means all train, tram and bus customers in Melbourne have the convenience
of accessing the 842 Metcard retailers throughout the city.

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