The success of the Cubic-installed and operated TransLink smartcard ticketing system won praise from the Australian state’s Premier, Anna Bligh.

           

Premier Bligh said, “This is an incredible milestone, just two years after the integrated travel system was rolled out across one of the largest geographical public transport networks in the world.”

           

During a ceremony in the state capital, Brisbane, Premier Bligh personally handed over the one millionth card to Wellington Point resident Jill De Gros, who said her family would use the go card for trips into the city.

           

The go card system in South East Queensland was fully installed across TransLink buses, ferries and rail in mid 2008. The TransLink network covers an area of more than 10,000 square kilometers, from Brisbane to Coolangatta on the south coast of Queensland, up to Gympie and west to Helidon.

           

The state’s Transport Minister Rachel Nolan, who attended the July ceremony with the Premier, said the smart card take-up rate had been phenomenal, with the 100 millionth go card trip being taken last month, less than two years after the roll-out was completed.

           

She said this year the number of trips taken using the go card had shot up from 33 percent to 60 percent. Between January and March 2010 there were 23.6 million go card trips, more than double the amount for the same period last year.

           

To encourage even more Queensland commuters to switch to smart cards, TransLink and the State Government are also giving away 400,000 go cards, loaded with 10 dollars credit.

           

Premier Bligh said, “We want people to make the switch from paper tickets and this give-away is aimed at making it easier for everyone to get on board. go card users board vehicles faster, and they travel and transfer between modes more easily.”

           

“This means it helps us improve services for commuters across the network. So the more people who use go cards, the better we get.”

           

The President of Cubic Transportation Systems, Steve Shewmaker, and Cubic’s Australasian Managing Director Matt Cole, who met with TransLink officials in Brisbane last month, said they were delighted with the uptake of the go card system.

           

“The Brisbane go card system is a great example of a modern integrated ticketing system. TransLink is already starting to see the benefits of shorter boarding times and better data on transport usage patterns,” Cole said. “The Queensland Government and TransLink should be congratulated on the success of the go card.”