Singapore Reverses Decision to Phase Out Older Ticketing System for Public Transport

Additional S$40 Million Allocated for System Maintenance, Free Card Exchange Offered for Commuters

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) in Singapore has reversed its decision to phase out the older ticketing system for public transport, allowing commuters to continue using EZ-Link and NETS FlashPay cards.
The government will spend an additional S$40 million (US$29.8 million) for hardware replacements and systems maintenance required to extend the adult card-based ticketing (CBT) system.
The decision to switch to the SimplyGo payment platform had led to public outcry, with concerns over the absence of fare and balance display at station gates and bus readers.
Commuters who have upgraded to a SimplyGo EZ-Link card between Jan 9 and Jan 22 can exchange it for the previous EZ-Link card for free.
Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat has apologized for the delays commuters experienced when they tried to convert their existing EZ-Link cards, acknowledging that better preparation could have avoided the issue.