The NSW Opal card

NSW Australia has introduced a stored-value, debit card that is to be used to pay fares on their public transport system.  This card is called the "Opal" card.  It is similar to the MRT pass used in Singapore, and the "myki" used in Melbourne.

The virtues of the Opal card have been debated on news media for months.  The Opal website tells of the positive points, but not the negative ones.  To counterbalance what it says, I shall summarise the negative points I have noticed here:

• While it gives business to newsagents and convenience stores, it lessens business for the CityRail ticket counters now that many paper tickets have been discontinued.  This results in a level of unemployment.
  
• If one does not tap off properly, one will get charged the maximum fare.  Unlike Singapore, though, the maximum fare is expensive.  Sometimes, it is not one's fault that one does not tap off properly.  Eg. if one thinks one has tapped, but actually missed.
  
• When on a train last week, ticket inspectors boarded to check the tickets of the passengers on board.  Most of us checked out okay, but one didn't.  This man said he tapped on at Town Hall.  He did not know why his Opal card did not register that.  Ticket inspectors seemed to have suspected something foul happening, and was giving the man a hard time.
  
• The system apparently gives discounts on individual fares, although possibly, it is more expensive compared to the seasonal tickets that many residents use.
  
• The old system allows passengers to travel for free within the City Circle.  The Opal card doesn't.  But this might be okay, since the system only charges for eight trips/week and subsequent trips become free.
  
• The Opal card system is not friendly to outstation visitors.  Especially to those from other countries.  Such visitors would not be used to the public transport fares of NSW.  This and the uncertainty of their travel plans make it hard to determine how much value to store on their Opal cards.  Then, these visitors cannot get refunds easily.  Refunds come in the form of a cheque or a bank deposit in Australian dollars to an Australian bank account.

What do you think?  Is the Opal card a good system overall?  Do the positive points outweigh the negative ones?

I find that by the ways in which some of the other tickets have been discontinued and the way some of the other discounts have become unavailable, people are being herded onto the Opal card system, even if they do not like it.  Choices are few if one does not choose what the authorities want one to choose.  The customers have choices, but the alternatives are not attractive.

Do you find this to be the case too?  Does this indicate manipulation in a negative sense?  Or do you think it is all positive?

Please share your thoughts.  Thank you.