The most annoying feature about overseas travel to be phased out
The most annoying feature about overseas travel is about to be phased out.
The green departure card, or Outgoing Passenger Card (OPC), has become obsolete and soon will disappear altogether. And that will be quickly followed by the orange Incoming Passenger Card (IPC).
But as recent international travellers would already know, filling out the green paper no longer seems to be mandatory. Officers do not collect the cards at some departure points and for travellers using the automated SmartGate passport reader, there’s no penalty if you fail to place the card in the box.
The cards are often a source of frustration for travellers who forget to fill out the card on board and then must quickly scramble to find a pen, their passport and flight numbers.
The Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) confirmed to news.com.au that it would remove the cards, but did specify a date.
“Removing paper-based manual processes is integral to achieving a seamless and automated traveller experience,” the DIBP said in a statement to news.com.au on Tuesday.
“The DIBP has been reviewing the use of paper-based passenger cards.
“Recognising the importance of the data collected on paper-based cards, DIBP has worked closely with the Australian Bureau of Statistics to identify and successfully test alternate data sources instead of relying on manual collection by paper-based cards.
“The Government is focused on low contact automated border clearance processes and technologies to manage the 50 million travellers expected annually by 2020.”