Sydney commuters can't use Opal cards aboard two new fast ferries to Manly but the state's transport minister insists it's a problem he's looking to solve.
Twin 24-metre catamarans capable of halving travel times from Circular Quay to Manly were officially launched in the harbour city on Tuesday.
NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance was quick to hose down concerns passengers won't be able to use their Opals on the privately owned and operated ferries.
"We're going to obviously explore Opal and the usage on private ferries across the harbour as we see the delivery of the IPART report," Mr Constance told reporters in Sydney.
"There are some challenges, obviously, in terms of the technology rollout but it's something that's being explored."
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NSW Premier Mike Baird gave the two vessels his tick of approval, saying they'd improve service reliability and ease the burden on public vessels.
"We see this as an opportunity, a great win-win for commuters," Mr Baird said.
"Not only do we have a better service, but the state government that was previously putting resources into this can put it into other public transport measures."
