In a recent report, the Victorian Auditor-General's Office (Vago) has revealed that the rollout of a Myki-less public transport system in Victoria will be delayed until 2027, primarily due to ongoing disputes between the state's transport department and the US-based technology firm Conduent. The delays are reported to have added $136.8 million to the project's overall costs, extending the timeline for what was intended to be a modern upgrade of the Myki payment system.

Daniel Bowen, a veteran public transport campaigner, expressed significant frustration over these delays, highlighting that Victoria's public transport system is lagging behind not only other Australian states but also many jurisdictions globally when it comes to adopting contactless payment solutions. The proposed upgrade by Conduent, which was awarded a substantial $1.7 billion contract to modernize the Myki system, aimed at allowing payments through debit or credit cards, smartphones, or smartwatches, yet the implementation has been severely hampered by bureaucratic issues.

The government had initially projected that these upgrades would bring Victoria into the '21st century' regarding public transport payment methods, particularly following similar implementations in cities like Sydney that have been operational since 2017. As the delays mount, public sentiment may shift toward greater impatience for technological advancements in public services, urging decisive action from both the state government and Conduent to ensure timely delivery on these critical updates for public transport.