UPDATE 1.20pm: SCORES of myki staff have been sacked fuelling speculation the bungled $1.4 billion system will be scrapped.

About 150 'myki mates' were sacked by email earlier this week.

The workers were previously employed to explain the new system to commuters at stations around Melbourne.

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A Transport Ticketing Authority spokesman confirmed the sackings.

"The TTA has decided that at the present time, continuation of the myki mates program does not represent the best use of TTA resources,” he said.

"The myki mates were not required to work during the traditionally quiet Christmas period, and this has continued into the new year.”

The TTA has now ended its contract with recruitment agency Skilled Group, that managed the myki mates.

Skilled Group public affairs general manager Delphine Cassidy said employees had regularly been contacted via SMS or email.

"We found it was the best way of communicating, given that they were always out and about," Ms Cassidy said.

She said roster changes and staff memos were always sent via SMS.

"This was not something new," she said.

Ms Cassidy said Skilled Group was trying to find new employment for the 150 sacked staff.

The TTA said the move did not mean the myki system would be scrapped.

"This in no way relates to, or foreshadows the outcome of, the State Government review of myki.

“We are at a new stage of the project and will look at other ways to educate customers as they transition to myki,” he said.

Premier Ted Baillieu was expected to announce his government’s plans for the myki program this week but has ordered another review into the system.

Mr Baillieu said all information about the cost of scrapping myki needed to be available to the Government before it could make a decision on the embattled project.

Originally published as Email 'best way' to sack myki staff