High school students at Magdalene Catholic College in Sydney, Australia, are to trial RFID transit ticketing tags that come with an operating distance of up to two metres, enabling an on-board reader to detect students automatically as they walk onto a bus.

“The new Opal student bag tags eliminate the need to physically tap on and tap off the bus with an Opal card,” says Transport for NSW.

“The students simply attach the Opal tag to their school bag and when they walk onto the bus, it’s automatically picked up by a reader, delivering a seamless travel experience.

“This can lead to improved travel times as students are able to get on and off much quicker as they don’t spend as much time trying to find their Opal card.  

“As some students forget to tap on and tap off, this technology will also mean more accurate passenger count data which will help plan services in the future.”

Transport for NSW is launching the year-long trial with 800 Magdalene Catholic College students following a smaller proof-of-concept pilot in the state’s Illawarra region during 2020.

“The concept is being considered for use on a wider basis for regional communities,” the transport authority says.

Transport for NSW began testing a digital version of its Opal transit card in December 2020.

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