Amidst the wave of confusion over the transition of adult commuters from EZ-Link to SimplyGo, LTA has made a U-turn on its decision. Just two weeks ago, the authority had announced a move to onboard EZ-Link adult cardholders to the SimplyGo platform by 1 June 2024.
Reasons cited by LTA were that there was a growing number of adult commuters using SimplyGo EZ-Link or bank cards to pay for public transport rides. It said about two in three adult fare transactions on public transport today are made using either SimplyGo EZ-Link or bank cards.
The authority also said its decision was motivated by the card-based ticketing (CBT) system for adult commuters nearing the end of its operational lifespan.
However, in a press release published on 22 January, LTA said it will extend the existing adult CBT system, to operate in parallel with the SimplyGo system. With this extension, adult commuters will have the option to use the EZ-Link and NETS FlashPay cards or their SimplyGo-compatible cards on public transport.
Adult commuters who have purchased SimplyGo EZ-Link cards or converted their EZ-Link cards to SimplyGo between 9 and 22 January 2024 may exchange their cards to a CBT EZ-Link card free of charge, if they wish to do so.
Similarly, concession cardholders who obtained a SimplyGo-compatible card or converted their cards to SimplyGo on or before 22 January have the option to exchange their card to a CBT Concession card for free. This is if they do not wish to continue using their SimplyGo cards.
Commuters who may be concession cardholders include seniors, students, Workfare Transport Concession cardholders, and Persons with Disabilities.
Along with this announcement, LTA said it is preparing its operations for the card exchange exercise and will share the relevant details by end-February. It is also making enhancements to SimplyGo for a better user experience.
