Make it easier for seniors to activate new silver card

A new multi-purpose PAssion Silver Concession Card was launched earlier this month for seniors, an initiative under the Government’s Action Plan for Successful Ageing.

The new card from the People’s Association, supported by the Land Transport Authority and the Singapore Business Federation, would be mailed in batches to citizens who are existing senior citizen concession cardholders. To use it for transport, the cardholder must activate it by the end of May 2017 at a Transit Link ticket office, by producing his or her identity card or existing concession card.

However, I find that it is a waste of time to make seniors go to a Transit Link office to activate the new card when not all offices do it.

I was at Changi Airport Terminal 3 and was hoping to activate my card since I happened to be there.

The staff member manning the office told me that I have to do it at other Transit Link offices located at other MRT stations. Why make things so difficult for us? I do not live near a bus interchange or MRT station, and it is an inconvenience.

In Hong Kong, even a 7-11 store sells and tops up the Octopus card, a stored-value e-card that can be used for most public transport, and to buy items at convenience stores and supermarkets. In Taiwan, 7-11 does the same thing for similar e-cards. Here, we have to go to stipulated offices just to activate the PAssion card — so much for being a wired and smart nation.