But South Coast commuters travelling to Sydney won’t pay more each week as a result, said to a Transport for NSW (TfNSW) spokesman.

Since the inception of the Opal card, the Weekly Travel Reward scheme has seen commuters accrue free travel for the rest of the week after making eight journeys.

For most Illawarra commuters – particularly those who travel to Sydney for work every day – that meant they got a free ride on Fridays.

But that bonus will be closed from next week, with NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance adopting a recommendation from the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) to offer half-price travel once eight journeys have been made.

The TfNSW spokesman said that only 30 per cent of commuters were getting free trips on Opal, with the remaining 70 per cent essentially footing the bill.

“IPART estimated that this cost the Government $150 million last year,” the spokesman said.

“That is not sustainable and the Government responded accordingly.

“Changing the weekly travel reward from a free 100 per cent discount to a 50 per cent discount is a responsible decision that delivers sustainable revenue to invest in more and better public transport for everyone.”

The spokesman said Illawarra commuters travelling to Sydney should not see their weekly fares increase.

“The daily and weekly fare caps haven’t changed so their fares will not change,” the spokesman said.

“Adult customers never pay more than $15 a day Monday to Saturday, $2.50 on Sundays, and no more than $60 a week.”

Another change being introduced on September 5 benefits those who use two modes of transport, such as getting off the train and catching a bus.

If they tap off the train and jump on the bus within 60 minutes, they get a $2 discount on the second trip.