The_King Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 SINGAPORE — Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat has admitted to authorities making a "judgment error" in the decision to phase out older public transport payment cards for adults, and had underestimated commuters' preferences for viewing fare information and card balances. The Straits Times reported on Friday (26 January) that Chee apologised to commuters and expressed a commitment to learning from the situation. "We will learn from this and we will do better in future," he added. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) had initially announced on 9 January to retire the older card-based ticketing system by 1 June, replacing it with SimplyGo, an account-based system processing fare payments at the back end. However, the announcement faced public outcry as passengers expressed frustration over the inability to see fare deductions and card balances when tapping out. Chee mentioned that the LTA had consulted over 1,000 commuters from 2020 to 2023 about SimplyGo, but admitted that a wider consultation might have revealed the stronger reactions and preferences expressed by some commuters. He told The Straits Times that the ministry is reviewing the optimal number of people for its consultation process for such policies, recognising the importance of hearing a broader range of views. Government allocates $40 million to extend card-based ticketing system until 2030 Chee also announced that the card-based ticketing system will be extended, allowing adult EZ-Link cards and NETS FlashPay cards to be used for public transport fare payments until at least 2030. To keep this card-based ticketing system going for six more years, an additional $40 million investment will cover new equipment and hardware, as well as maintenance and operating costs. Chee assured the government would bear this expense without impacting bus and train fares. Explaining the decision to extend the card-based system only until 2030, Chee mentioned that future decisions would depend on finding solutions to technical difficulties hindering SimplyGo from displaying fares on payment readers. He emphasised the authorities' commitment to consulting widely and seeking input from passengers and industry experts in making such decisions. Chee reiterated that there are currently no available technical solutions to fix the fare display issue for account-based systems, both locally and overseas. However, he was optimistic that collaboration between the LTA, other government agencies, and industry partners could lead to a solution that would eventually encourage more people to switch to the SimplyGo system. The SimplyGo app and the SimplyGo EZ-Link card. (PHOTO: SimplyGo) LTA and partners transform trains, stations, and buses for Chinese New Year celebrations Meanwhile, LTA has joined forces with the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC) along with major public transport operators – SBS Transit, SMRT, and Tower Transit Singapore – to usher in the Chinese New Year with specially designed trains, MRT stations, and buses. From Friday until 24 February, commuters can experience the festive joy on selected trains across all six rail lines and buses servicing routes 51, 851, 106, 166, and 961. These themed services will navigate popular areas, including Bugis, West Coast, Chinatown, Tiong Bahru, Clementi, Hougang, Woodlands, Bishan, and Bras Basah. Furthermore, key MRT stations such as Ang Mo Kio, Boon Lay, Punggol, Tampines East, Maxwell, and Shenton Way will also be adorned with festive decorations. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XianGe Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 Still waiting for him to apologize for allowing phv leasing companies voe to be same category as public 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XianGe Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 The company for simplygo really simply cmi... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zendude Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 PAP is useless in so many areas They have total control of the media yet no control over oppo supporters They could have hard balled and enforced this like return tray fines, but got confused about the consequences. It's not out of compassion either, their manifesto has always been pure evil, the handouts are just to sustain it. It's beyond incompetence, they are genuinely just fucking retarded. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huat Zai Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_King Posted January 27 Author Share Posted January 27 3 hours ago, zendude said: PAP is useless in so many areas They have total control of the media yet no control over oppo supporters They could have hard balled and enforced this like return tray fines, but got confused about the consequences. It's not out of compassion either, their manifesto has always been pure evil, the handouts are just to sustain it. It's beyond incompetence, they are genuinely just fucking retarded. Scare of losing votes just like the bukit panjang which they admit the lrt was build because scare of losing votes 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_King Posted January 27 Author Share Posted January 27 FYI the 70% simplygo number is not break down like I sure that those fully upgrade to simplygo mean can't see fare less then 30%. To lump all together with mean they play with number to make it look 70% fully upgrade Those with simplygo ezlink card does not mean they upgraded Some like me is simplygo enable but did not upgrade so I can still see the fare 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now