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As long as a passenger has the minimum balance on an unregistered Opal card to tap on,they can complete the journey and tap off with a negative balance.Credit:Janie Barrett

Since 2015,the NSW Audit Office has been reporting the total amount owed on unregistered Opal cards with a negative balance.

In 2017-18,the number of Opal cards with negative balances spiked from more than 776,000 to 1.1 million,with $3.8 million in lost revenue,for a total of $7.8 million since Opal was introduced.

But despite repeated recommendations,the government has ignored the advice and failed to close the loophole.

Transport for NSW secretary Rodd Staples said the department was aware of the loophole and promised a crackdown"in the coming months".

"It’s not fair for the vast majority of customers who do the right thing which is why the government is taking action,"Mr Staples said in a statement.

"We are currently working with Airport Link on a solution that will change the operation of the Opal gates so they remain closed if a customer does not have enough money to cover the correct cost of their fare."

Alarmingly for the government,the average amount owing on each card ballooned to $11.76,indicating an increasing proportion of commuters exploiting the loophole at the airport train stations.

One commuter,who asked not to be named,told theHerald the loophole required"a bit of planning".

"I've gone into negative before. More than a few cents,definitely,"the commuter said.

"I've known that it exists for a while. When Opal came in it was a rhetoric from the transport minister at the time that there's loopholes and we encourage people to take advantage of them when they find them."

The maximum amount that an Opal card could go into negative balance is almost $20.

A passenger starting their journey at Gosford,for example,would need the minimum balance of $3.54 for a peak fare. If that passenger travelled to Domestic Airport station,a fare that costs $22.99,they would tap off at -$19.45.

Under the current system,a passenger only requires the minimum fare to successfully tap on and off,no matter how far they travel.

In September,Transport Minister Andrew Constanceruled out introducing a $10 fee for new Opal cards after theHerald obtained leaked documents revealing the strategy.

In 2014,then transport minister Gladys Berejiklianencouraged people to "find the savings" and"beat the system".

Labor has announced it wouldcut the airport station access fees to $5 (instead of $14.30) if it is elected in March.

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