SINGAPORE: The Land Transport Authority’s (LTA) announcement that bus and train payment cards must be upgraded has roused online discussions about whether such a move was necessary.
What’s going to change, and why?
From Jun 1, adult EZ-Link cards and NETS FlashPay cards can no longer be used on buses and trains, LTA announced on Tuesday (Jan 9).
Commuters who are using these payment methods will have to upgrade their cards to SimplyGo EZ-Link cards or exchange them for NETS Prepaid Cards.
Concession card users will not be affected. Those who are using contactless bank cards and mobile wallets on phones or smartwatches are already on the SimplyGo platform, which was introduced in 2019, and also will not be affected.
Around two-thirds of adult public transport fares are currently paid through SimplyGo EZ-Link cards or bank cards.
“With the growing adoption of SimplyGo payment methods, and the legacy card-based ticketing system for adult commuters nearing the end of its operational lifespan, we are therefore transitioning all adult commuters to the SimplyGo platform,” said LTA.
The authority also highlighted the benefits of SimplyGo, such as topping up multiple EZ-Link cards using its mobile app; blocking transactions if a card is misplaced; and receiving notifications on fares and card balances.
Last March, the LTA announced that the EZ-Link and TransitLink SimplyGo mobile apps would be merged into a single platform. At the time, the authority said there would be no change to how commuters paid their fares. There was also no indication that older EZ-Link cards would be phased out.