SINGAPORE: Newly minted Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat has announced that the Government will spend an additional $40 million to extend the existing card-based EZ-Link ticketing system and run it alongside the SimplyGo system. The extension will allow passengers to continue to pay fares using EZ-Link and NETS FlashPay Cards.
Earlier this month, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced that EZ-Link cards and NETS FlashPay cards will be discontinued on public transport from 1 June, and commuters will be required to upgrade their non-concession cards to SimplyGo EZ-Link cards or NETS prepaid cards.
The announcement stirred up discontent and the concern that the push to digitalise may be coming at the expense of consumers, as the shift will mean there will be no single card for Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) and parking, retail, and public transport like the current EZ-Link cards seamlessly offer.
Another primary point of contention is that the new SimplyGo card, touted for its technological advancement, will not display card balances at MRT gantries or bus card readers. Critics argued that the inability to check card balances at a glance may lead to additional inconveniences for users, who would need extra steps to determine if a top-up is necessary.
The Government has now backtracked on its initial plan and accepted the widespread call for system integration, as opposed to scrapping the existing setup.
LTA announced today that it will be extending the existing adult card-based ticketing (CBT) system to operate in parallel with the SimplyGo system and that commuters will have the option of using either the EZ-Link and NETS FlashPay cards or their SimplyGo-compatible cards on public transport.
It appears the extension will be in effect indefinitely, as LTA did not clarify when it will end.
LTA said that commuters who have purchased SimplyGo EZ-Link cards or converted their EZ-Link cards to SimplyGo this month will have the option to exchange their cards for a traditional EZ-Link card free of charge if they wish to do so. The statutory board added that it would continue to enhance SimplyGo to provide a better user experience.
The extension is one of Chee Hong Tat’s first acts as full Transport Minister after he was appointed to the role following his predecessor S Iswaran’s resignation last week after he was charged with alleged corruption in court.
In a Facebook post published today, Mr Chee apologised for delays some commuters experienced as they converted their cards. Acknowledging that this could have been avoided with better preparation and indicating that he is aware of the negative “public reactions,” surrounding the initial planned conversion, he said:
“I also hear and acknowledge the concerns of commuters who want to continue seeing their fare deductions and card balances at fare gates and bus card readers. I have discussed your feedback and concerns with MOT and LTA. We have decided to extend the use of the current CBT system for adult commuters, and not to sunset the system in 2024 as originally planned.
“We will spend an additional $40 million, so that commuters can continue to use EZ Link cards and NETS FlashPay cards if they wish to.”
He also defended the SimplyGo account-based ticketing system (ABT) as superior to the conventional stored-value cards as they protect the stored value in the event of card loss. In cases of misplaced ABT cards, the balance is safeguarded because the value is stored in the user’s account and on the card itself, where it may be lost if the card is lost.
Mr Chee also highlighted the convenience offered by ABT cards, which allow users to buy stored value cards for family members and facilitate easy top-up through mobile apps. ABT cards also enable commuters to utilize bank cards and mobile wallets for seamless payment of public transport fares.
He added that card balances cannot be viewed at gantries because the fare and balance data is not stored directly on the card, and retrieving this information from the backend system may take a few seconds. This delay could potentially slow down the flow of commuters, especially during peak hours, leading to long queues at fare gates and bus card readers.
Minister Chee added that other global cities like London and Hong Kong also do not display fare deductions and card balances at fare gates, as they use ABT cards.
For now, the Minister has instructed LTA to explore ways to enhance the features and improve the user experience for ABT cards while extending the use of traditional EZ-Link cards beyond June.