SINGAPORE — There are plans to make the SimplyGo account-based ticketing system work for motoring payments down the road, on top of its current uses for public transport and retail, said Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat.
"Over time, we do want to work towards having the SimplyGo card being able to be used for retail, public transport and also for motoring," Chee told Parliament on Feb 5.
This will put SimplyGo stored-value cards on a par with older ez-link cards, which can be used across public transport, motoring and retail.
But it will take time to find such solutions, Chee said in a debate on the issue that lasted about 40 minutes.
This is one reason the card-based ticketing system for adult transport cards needs to be extended by six years past its shelf life until at least 2030 in a $40 million move, the minister added.
In the meantime, Chee said, he has asked the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to add more card readers at MRT stations and bus interchanges to allow SimplyGo users to check their card balances if they do not use the SimplyGo mobile app.
The Ministry of Transport (MOT) did not provide more details about this move when contacted.
Unlike the older card-based system, which stores transaction data on the cards, SimplyGo handles fare payments on back-end servers.
That is why fares and balances are not shown on card readers when tapping in or out, an issue the authorities are hoping to resolve.
LTA had announced on Jan 9 that all adult public transport users must make the switch to SimplyGo by June, but shelved the move barely two weeks later, on Jan 22.
Chee also revealed on Feb 5 that a separate card-based ticketing system for concession cards would be extended until at least 2030 as well.
The authorities previously said they decided to retain this system after feedback from seniors but did not specify its shelf life or how long it would be retained.
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Chee, who spoke in Parliament for the first time after he was appointed transport minister on Jan 18, said LTA will find ways to integrate the two card-based systems over time without affecting passengers. He faced a barrage of questions from MPs over the shelving of plans to make adult users switch to SimplyGo, which had spawned a fierce backlash.
The main bone of contention was that passengers would not be able to view fares and balances at the point of transaction with SimplyGo.
More than 20 MPs from both sides of the political aisle tabled questions relating to SimplyGo, including the lifespan of the card-based system, the $40 million bill to extend it and the improvements planned for SimplyGo.
MPs also asked what LTA learnt from the episode, and what steps the Government will take to prevent a recurrence. Eight MPs later rose to pose further questions.
Workers’ Party (WP) MP Gerald Giam (Aljunied GRC) asked if LTA could instead use the $40 million to upgrade the SimplyGo system, noting that many users were upset that their experience was being "downgraded".
"LTA could, for example, extend the contract [of the card-based system] by just one more year, while it irons out the usability issues [with SimplyGo]," he said.
Louis Chua (Sengkang GRC), who is also from WP, asked if the improvements included plans for SimplyGo to become a universal card and whether it would be compatible with the on-board units for the next-generation Electronic Road Pricing system.
Chee said he was not confident the authorities would find a solution to these problems in a year.
"Having put in the hardware and the necessary equipment, we thought it is more prudent for us to plan... for it to run for at least a few years, until at least 2030," he added.
"That will give us time to... explore possible solutions with industry experts and other government agencies."
Chee said the Government will bear the cost of rolling out SimplyGo and the card-based systems for adults and concession-card holders, stressing again that this will not affect fares.
He added that the older cards can show fare and balance information in half a second, but this could take several seconds with SimplyGo.
"This may be OK if the flow of commuters is very light, but it’s going to cause delays and it’s going to add to the queues, especially during periods when the volumes are higher," he told the House.
Asked by Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC) how other countries have approached this issue, Chee said places such as Hong Kong and London maintain both card- and account-based systems because they, too, have not found a solution on how to display fares.
Responding to Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar GRC), Chee said the merger of LTA subsidiaries TransitLink and EZ-Link, announced in March 2023, was not linked to the Government’s earlier decision to phase out older adult transport payment cards.
In an update, Chee said the share of adult passengers using SimplyGo has continued to climb after the Jan 22 decision to retain older transport payment cards.
From Jan 23 to 31, about 9,000 adult public transport users converted their older cards to SimplyGo ones.
As at end-January, 69 per cent of public transport users are on SimplyGo, with 44 per cent using bank cards and mobile wallets, and 25 per cent using SimplyGo stored-value cards, Chee said.
He did not specify how many of these users made the switch voluntarily or because their older cards had expired.
In comparison, 64 per cent of adult users were on SimplyGo in December 2023, with 41 per cent using bank cards and mobile wallets, and 23 per cent using SimplyGo stored-value cards.
Chee suggested that many of those who switched to SimplyGo did so for its benefits.
He said the account-based system, for instance, allows passengers to use their bank cards and mobile wallets for public transport, instead of carrying another card for this purpose.
Since March 2022, only account-based ez-link cards have been sold at ticket offices in MRT stations and bus interchanges, though card-based ez-link cards can still be bought at some convenience and retail stores.
An ez-link card is valid for five years, while the other card-based options — FlashPay cards by payment firm Nets and concession cards for seniors and those with disabilities — are valid for seven years.
Separately, Dr Lim Wee Kiak (Sembawang GRC) asked about the number of reports of overcharging lodged by SimplyGo users.
Chee said such errors can happen with both card- and account-based systems.
"The error rate is very low," he added, without providing figures. When contacted, MOT also did not provide more information.
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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.