Public service vehicle owners have ruled out industrial action after reaching agreement with the Transport Board over its controversial pilot cashless payment system, following complaints that private operators had not been properly consulted before the scheme was introduced.

The Alliance Owners of Public Transport, which represents Transport Augmentation Programme drivers, had protested the introduction of the card fare system without the full prior knowledge of the organisation or the TAP operators, who essentially function as an extension of the state in transporting passengers.

Following the AOPT’s protests, senior Transport Board officials met the association’s leadership on Thursday afternoon to try to resolve their differences and bring clarity to the issue.