SINGAPORE — It is technically possible for the SimplyGo system to display a transit card's balance value and deducted fares at scanners, but it would slow down the entry and exit for commuters, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said.

Noting that two in three adult commuters have adopted the SimplyGo mode of payment as of last month, it will "continue to leverage advancements in technology to improve the experience of checking fares and card balances" through this system.

The lack of fare display is due to SimplyGo transactions being processed on the backend, similar to credit and debit card transactions, the authority explained. 

Commuters using Nets FlashPay cards would need to get them replaced with a Nets prepaid card because it cannot be upgraded to SimplyGo.

The authority gave more details on Friday in reply to TODAY's queries regarding how the payment system works for public bus and MRT train fares.

“When a user taps his SimplyGo Ez-link card, it will take a few seconds for the fare gates and card readers to obtain and display the card balance and deduction information from the backend system," it said.

"While this is technically possible, it will slow down the entry and exit for commuters.  Given the large numbers of commuters who are taking MRT and buses, this will lead to longer queues, which is not desirable.”

The SimplyGo mobile application was designed to allow commuters to view such information from within the app, it added.

Commuters who prefer not to use the app may view their recent trip details and card balance at ticketing machines located at every train station and bus interchange.

CONCERNS ABOUT SIMPLYGO PAYMENTS

Several commuters who spoke to TODAY have expressed apprehension and confusion about LTA's announcement on Tuesday, particularly on what features may be lacking for the payment modes under SimplyGo. 

Others have voiced complaints about the app, such as inconsistent real-time top-up and fare deduction notifications, as well as problems logging into the app. 

For 53-year-old dog sitter Laura Tian, LTA's announcement that her Ez-link card would soon be obsolete came as a “surprise and shock” because there was “no hint of the change coming”.

Although she has “no choice” but to upgrade her card, she does not plan to download the SimplyGo app for now, because some app users have told her that notifications on card charges appear days later. 

Ms Jacquelene Pang, a 46-year old homemaker, called the full switch to SimplyGo for all adult commuters a “huge step backwards”, even though she already uses a SimplyGo Ez-link card.

SimplyGo Ez-link cardholders are advised to maintain a minimum card balance of S$3 at all times and top-ups through the app can take about 10 minutes to register.

Ms Pang has been occasionally “stuck” when having a low card balance if she did not have her mobile phone or cash as a backup. 

Similarly, Mr Ong Xiang, 30, a software engineer, said that the design and reliability of the SimplyGo app can be improved because he had not been able to use the app when it was stuck on a loading page during peak hours, for instance.

Member of Parliament (MP) Saktiandi Supaat, who chairs the Government Parliamentary Committee on Transport, said that for people who are less digitally savvy, the transition may not be so easy because SimplyGo is “essentially app-driven” even though there are card-based options for users.

He urged LTA to look into possible hardware and software enhancements to make a “hybrid” system with the “best of both worlds”, for commuters who prefer to see the card's balance at the point of exit rather than primarily through an app. 

On this "best of both worlds" suggestion, LTA said on Friday that instead of renewing the present card-based ticketing system and continuing to run two systems, "which is very costly", it has decided to go with just the SimplyGo system for adult commuters from June.

Transport analyst Terence Fan from the Singapore Management University (SMU) said that the move towards using apps for transport systems may be frustrating to users because of cybersecurity concerns and it would alienate users who may need better or newer smartphones that can load newer app updates.

When TODAY checked the SimplyGo app by LTA's subsidiary TransitLink on Thursday afternoon, it displayed an in-app message informing users that there was an “overwhelming download” of the app, which caused disruptions such as slow loading times and certain functions being unavailable.

LTA told TODAY on Friday that since its announcement of the transition, there had been a surge in app downloads and the number of people upgrading their cards at ticketing machines.

This surge in transaction volume resulted in the app and ticketing machines becoming less responsive. 

Since then, TransitLink has made enhancements to the app to address the issue, and existing app users will be prompted to update the app before they can use it.

It is also working with its vendors to enhance the backend systems to handle more upgrades, it added.

COMMUNICATING THE CHANGE 

The technical issues with the SimplyGo app is one source of frustration for some commuters. For others, the way in which the transition was announced was also a point of contention. 

MP Saktiandi said that since there may be many people who are still unfamiliar with SimplyGo, better public education and “more instructive guidance” on the system is needed to ensure a smooth transition.

He suggested that stylised pamphlets and YouTube videos in the vernacular languages using “simple terms” could be produced by LTA to explain the different modes of payments. 

He also suggested pushing the transition period beyond the June 1 deadline, proposing that the phasing out of older payment options be extended to a full year.

Agreeing, Professor Fan of SMU said that the planned change could have been communicated earlier to allow commuters to make more informed decisions on how to pay for public transport in the future. 

He added that the transition should be communicated to frequent travellers by posting the news at bus stops and train stations in addition to online announcements that may not reach all commuters. 

Responding to TODAY’S queries, EZ-Link said that all passenger service centres and SimplyGo ticket offices have only sold SimplyGo Ez-link cards since August last year.

EZ-Link has stopped the circulation of legacy Ez-link cards at other sales channels such as 7-Eleven and Cheers convenience stores as well as Buzz kiosks.  

Transport analysts said that making it clearer to the public the benefits of switching fully to SimplyGo will also go a long way in ensuring a smoother transition. 

For example, the SimplyGo system that identifies the person with the card used for transport payments could provide LTA with more comprehensive information on passenger movements, which may then be used to design bus routes and frequency, Prof Fan said.

Similarly, Associate Professor Walter Theseira from the Singapore University of Social Sciences said that account-based systems such as SimplyGo are more adaptable to changes in the payment landscape and could allow for innovations such as account-based fare limits.

“The earlier systems are stored-value cash purses that are their own ecosystem.

"SimplyGo is different in concept and is a platform where, as long as you meet the specifications, other payment systems can ride on it as a platform,” Assoc Prof Theseira added. 

LTA said it understands that commuters who have not made the switch would need time to adjust and it therefore announced this a few months ahead of the roll-out on June 1.

It has also put in place measures to help ease the transition, including deploying service ambassadors at train stations and bus interchanges to assist commuters who wish to upgrade their Ez-link cards, download the SimplyGo app or check their balances and trip details on ticketing machines.

It would publicise the features of SimplyGo through various channels such as roadshows, social media, posters at public transport nodes, online and broadcast advertisements, it added.