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Australia news live: arrival of H5N1 bird flu a ‘genuine wildlife emergency’, experts say; fuel excise rebate extended for extra month
Tram passengers in Melbourne will be able to pay for their trip using a bank card, smartphone or smartwatch from today. The long awaited expansion of tap-and-go payments follows a staged roll out to the city’s train network and main regional routes. Buses are expected to follow. The step follows almost a decade after Sydney introduced tap-and-go payments. Passengers who prefer to use a Myki card can continue to do so. Gabrielle Williams , the Victorian minister for public and active transport, said: double quotation mark From today, you can step off a train and straight on to a tram using the same phone, watch or bank card. Four in five tap and go trips are already being made with a phone or smartwatch – showing more Victorians are leaving the wallet at home. View image in fullscreen Commuters in Melbourne will be able to use a phone, smartwatch or credit card on public transport from today. Photograph: Nadir Kinani/The Guardian