Never has Singapore been so shaken by the impending demise of a card the size of our palm.
A month ago, the EZ-Link card that has served as our ticket to public transportation for over 20 years, gripped adult commuters with fear and frustration following LTA's announcement.
The EZ-Link card was to go, in favour of those compatible with the SimplyGo platform.
But before the torrential outcries could get any stronger, the government reversed its decision. It seems EZ-Link is here to stay, for now. The reversal came just two weeks after the initial announcement.
This was unusual behaviour from the Singapore government, one that's known for its foresight and preparedness. Popular opinion has it that the LTA failed on the readiness front. Whereas, Mr. Han Fook Kwang, a former LTA board member, offered an interesting perspective: Could this be the new approach of the incoming 4G political leadership?
While important for us to make sense of the incident, it's perhaps more crucial to understand the motivation for the call to move from EZ-Link to SimplyGo.
Why the transition to SimplyGo?
What differentiates EZ-Link from SimplyGo? Why was the transition initiated?
EZ-Link was introduced in 2002 and operates on a card-based ticketing system. SimplyGo, on the other hand, is account-based.
The former stores a commuter's travel records in their card, thereby enabling instantaneous processing and extraction of data when a transaction is made at tap-in or tap-out. This is why fare deductions and card balances can be reflected at the blink of an eye.
Transactions in an account-based system are tagged to a specific account that's registered in the operator's back office. In this set-up, the mass of travel data from across the island are consolidated and centrally processed there.
Only when fare calculations are done on the backend can specific transactions be shown in the user's account. This explains the lag time in when the user is able to see how much they have spent on a trip and how much balance they have left.
But really, I'd like to think the transition was prompted by far more substantive reasons that would actually effect a material change in commuters' lives.
Using an account-based system like SimplyGo allows for a wide range of e-payment options, including contactless bank cards, beyond a transport-centric card. LTA also said commuters will be able to top up value and block lost cards remotely to prevent unauthorised transactions, via the SimplyGo mobile app.
Barring the execution that went awry, these intended outcomes are targeted at uplifting the rider experience.
In the grand scheme of public transportation, a system like SimplyGo will make for greater operational efficiencies. Implementation of fare adjustments and concession enablement can be pushed out more quickly and easily, just like systemic upgrades of the platform it is hosted on.
The transport authority could also study the aggregated real-time data points for more precise and meaningful analyses of public transport usage and ridership patterns. It would be a waste if the trove of information collected was not tapped on to inform policy changes.
Put together, these are reasons enough for us to SimplyGo ahead.
We aren't much better off with SimplyGo
Clearly, reality fell short of expectations. For the boundless potential that SimplyGo is capable of, it seems its current suite of features cannot unleash all that it's worth.
Apart from remote topping up, auto top-up presets, and push notifications on trip fares and low card balances, there is little that SimplyGo can do better than EZ-Link. For now, its only value-add is perhaps greater protection - for our SimplyGo EZ-Link cards.
If we lose our EZ-Link card registered on SimplyGo, we can leverage the Card Blocking Service to prevent any dishonest use by whoever picks it up. I think it's a fair security measure to take given how SimplyGo will eventually be able to be used to pay for purchases at partner retail outlets.
Not arguing against the importance of ensuring robust precautions are in place ahead of full-on implementation though, this feature already exists on the EZ-Link app. The fact that "retail usage at participating merchants will be made available progressively" does nothing to deflect from the state of infancy that SimplyGo emanates.
For context, SimplyGo isn't that new. It was launched in April 2019 following LTA's success with piloting an account-based ticketing system in 2017. You might recall the novelty of being able to tap in and out at the fare gantries with your bank card instead of an EZ-Link card, when Mastercard first on-boarded SimplyGo's platform.
All these efforts to make commuting more seamless, however, are somewhat reversed by the inability of SimplyGo to pay for ERP and carpark charges. Instead of using just one card for travel purposes, drivers have to work with two, post-transition.
Before LTA called off the switch to SimplyGo, drivers who wanted to continue using their EZ-Link card for these payments were advised not to upgrade to SimplyGo. No action was required either for those who preferred to retain the use of their NETS FlashPay card.
All of a sudden, drivers who are also public transport commuters were made worse off by the mandate to shift to a new system. Options were offered, but they came with a price: Switch or be stuck with distinct payment methods meant for very specific purposes.
Maybe the bigger plan was to further distinguish between uses for motoring and public transportation, but I struggle to see how less interchangeability and more divisiveness across travel modes make us better off.
Also, one thing for sure appeared ill-considered: Readiness.
Singapore isn't ready to SimplyGo
After the news broke out on 9 January 2024, throngs of Singaporeans rushed to the ticketing machines to upgrade their existing EZ-Link cards.
Many encountered problems with the upgrading process, which rendered their card invalid. Most also aired their unhappiness over how they would no longer be able to view fare transactions and their card balance upon tapping in. All these pointed to an oversight in readying the machines and affected commuters for the 'big migration'.
To give credit to LTA, however, their initial decision on the transition was not formed on a whim. It had studied fare transaction data, which showed two in three adult commuters today paid for public transport rides via SimplyGo EZ-Link cards or bank cards.
Still, we are creatures of habit and there are the not-so-tech savvy individuals amongst us who should not be left behind as our society progresses. What could Singapore do to lessen the resistance towards moving to an account-based ticketing model, if and when it happens (again)?
London was the first city in the world to enable contactless fare payment via credit and debit cards across its public transport network in 2012. Since then, London has continued to allow commuters to use the Oyster card - our EZ-Link equivalent - to pay for public transport rides. Its plan to transform the Oyster card system to an account-based platform was only announced in 2022, with it being a phased transition culminating in full service in 2026.
Even with more than twice the number of daily rides (1.39 million versus 530,000) on the London underground rail being paid for with contactless bank cards, the Oyster card still co-existed with account-based payment options for a good decade.
In comparison, Singapore's goal to on-board everyone on SimplyGo in just a little less than six months was simply over-ambitious.
Slow and steady wins the marathon
The transition to an account-based platform like SimplyGo is a long haul. It isn't and cannot be a race.
London's experience tells us we are far from being ripe for the switchover. More needs to be done to help our people understand the need for the transition, and allow time for those who are not the most technologically-inclined to learn and adjust.
Our reversal of plans may not be a bad thing. It will give us the bandwidth to take in more considerations, refine the implementation, and plot a more breathable transition (such as in phases). We can also take the chance to improve the SimplyGo experience by making it more than marginally beneficial relative to existing systems. This is something the LTA has committed to doing.
We are off to a good start: The government has heard the collective voice (and concerns). The legacy card-based ticketing system for adult transport cards will be extended beyond its original expiration date, until at least 2030.
Newly appointed Minister for Transport, Mr. Chee Hong Tat, told the Parliament on 5 February 2024 that "LTA will add more card readers at train stations and bus interchanges so commuters may check their card balances if they do not use the SimplyGo mobile app". Mr. Chee also said the government is looking to make SimplyGo work for motoring payments in future.
Don't these demonstrate that going slow and steady yields more desirable objectives?
