Opal card changes to make travel easier

Sydney commuters may soon have an easier ride home on the bus, train or ferry with changes to how the Opal Card works.

The changes are designed to cut queues and make sure commuters don't miss their destination.

From July, the automatic top-up amount linked to a user's debit or credit card will drop from the current minimum of $40 down to a more appealing $10.

From today, a change to the Opal app also means easier travel for everyone, especially children and the elderly who may miss their stop.

Customers will be able to plan their trip through the app, press 'go', and then be told when to get off via their phone's built-in GPS.

The alerts can be set to a noise or vibration and commuters can also set up automatic alerts to show if there is a service delay.

No more text-messaging or web surfing through your stop - or getting lost on an unfamiliar route.