E-ticketing upgrade facing ‘teething problems’: PM

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has acknowledged ongoing challenges with Fiji's upgraded e-ticketing system, describing them as “teething problems” that will improve over time.

Responding to questions in Parliament today, Mr Rabuka revealed that over 486,000 new cards have been issued since the system's rollout, with more than 22.5 million registered trips recorded.

“The upgrade represents a big step in modernising public transport payments, and we acknowledge that there have been challenges, and we will continue to improve as the demand demands,” Mr Rabuka said.

The Prime Minister said the Government inherited an aging e-ticketing system that was no longer supported by equipment manufacturers as of September 2023, prompting the need for an upgrade.

He said an e-ticketing committee was established, including representatives from bus operators, the Land Transport Authority, the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission, the Consumer Council of Fiji and the Ministry of Transport to monitor the rollout.

Opposition MP Premila Kumar questioned why disposable cards were discontinued, noting they provided emergency options for commuters who forgot their cards or for tourists.

“Why wasn’t the system created to accept disposable cards?” Ms Kumar asked.

Mr Rabuka explained the new system could not support disposable cards due to technological changes.

“We’re moving along with the developments in the IT systems that back up this e-ticketing,” he said.

The Prime Minister said a technical audit has been completed and upgrades to backend software and terminal devices are underway to ensure interoperability and reliability.

Currently, the e-transport mobile app has 120,000 active users, with 10 percent of top-ups conducted via the app.

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