Queensland scraps Go Card e-ticket scheme

PLANS for southeast Queensland's public transport system to go completely paperless have been scrapped.

Transport minister Rachel Nolan announced the backflip on Friday.
In September last year, the state government announced it would phase out paper tickets by 2011.
Ms Nolan said that one-way paper tickets would now be retained, alongside the electronic fare system "Go Cards.''
She admitted the plan to scrap paper tickets was a bit "ambitious'', considering other cities with electronic fares such as London, still had some paper ticketing on offer.
"We've listened to the community reference group, tourists and infrequent users, who have told us they would prefer to be able to purchase a single-trip ticket at a station or on-board a bus or ferry, rather than an alternative Go Card,'' Ms Nolan said in a statement.

She said the transport department had looked at disposable Go Cards for visitors and infrequent travellers, but that option was too expensive.
Opposition transport spokeswoman Fiona Simpson welcomed the move to keep some paper ticketing.
"This whole process has been shambolic, it's been so badly planned," she told ABC Radio.
"The fact that the government announced they were going to get rid of paper tickets for commuters before they even had a way of doing it."