Commuters ready to face the future

FUTURE commuters will be able to use their faces as a ticket to board trains and buses.

New technology being tested by the company behind the Go Card will use biometric recognition to enable passengers to pay using their fares.

Card-operated gates would be replaced by machines that scan people’s eyes or the unique pattern of veins in the palm of their hand, linked to a prepaid account.

“We are trialling it in the lab at the moment,’’ said Chris Bax, vice-president of intelligent transport systems global strategy for Cubic Corporation, who was in Brisbane yesterday.

A real-world trial is planned within the next year, probably in the UK, before being rolled out in cities around the world.

“Biometric technology still has a way to go, but it is developing quickly,’’ Mr Bax said.

While facial recognition could be some years away from Queensland’s public transport, a contactless payment system for trains, buses, ferries and light rail will be introduced much sooner.