SINGAPORE: A Singaporean’s question, “Is SimplyGo for tech savvy people only?” has ignited a heated debate on social media as some commuters still grapple with the transition to the SimplyGo system.
u/Fragrant-Walrus-9659 wrote on Reddit: “We didn’t have Ezlink or contactless payments before but everyone is using it. U guys need to adapt to changes. In this day and age where most people use phones to pay stuff and NFCs, who cares about using physical cards? U can easily swap your cards and store different cards in Google wallet or apple wallet etc in your phone You don’t even have to carry your wallet if you don’t want to. What’s with all these farce? Is everyone in SG, the world’s financial hub and most richest nation in the world boomers? Why have 3rd world mentality and practices?”
The debate escalated as users shared their experiences and concerns.
One user highlighted a perceived flaw in SimplyGo, expressing dissatisfaction with his inability to view their card balance upon tapping out. He also raised concerns about the reliability of the gantry in detecting cards and NFC devices.
Contrary to this, u/yourWif3Boyfri3nd shared a positive experience, praising SimplyGo for its prompt notifications about trip details. While acknowledging the lack of balance visibility, he found it inconsequential, especially when using a debit card. “I personally find it more convenient to not having top top up my card every 2 weeks,” he added.
User u/ikkanseicho pointed out that people generally assume they know how to use a mobile app, however, Singaporeans should take not just the majority of the population into consideration. He said, “That’s very little % of the population! If you have a grandma or granddad or even those aged 50s now you might understand. If you dont, try googling ageing population in Singapore and tech savviness.”
On the other hand, u/zreftjmzq2461 questioned the necessity of using an app to access basic information. He argued that public transport should be inclusive, catering to the unbanked and low-income individuals who might not be comfortable or capable of using digital applications.
u/VegetableBoot1854 chimed in with a thought-provoking statement: “Comfort leads to stagnation.”
u/Party-Ring445 cited a potential pitfall of relying solely on digital solutions with his wordplay: “I can’t go home.. my phone ran out of battery.”
In the ongoing SimplyGo debate, it’s clear that Singaporeans have diverse opinions. As user u/htnghia2409 shared, “I am in Simply Go side, but I understand why people still want EZ-Link. They want something they can control physically. For the same reason, there are a lot of people or shops still prefer using cash. So I think it’s better give different choices for different people.”
/TISG
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