The authorities made a "judgment error" in deciding to phase out older public transport payment cards for adults, and underestimated how commuters wanted to continue seeing fare information and card balances, said Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat.
"I apologise to our commuters for what happened," said Mr Chee in an interview with reporters on Jan 26. "We will learn from this and we will do better in future." The Land Transport Authority (LTA) had announced on Jan 9 that it would retire the older card-based ticketing system which ez-link and Nets FlashPay cards run on by June 1. These cards were to be replaced by SimplyGo, an accountbased system that processes fare payments at the back end, unlike the older system of storing transaction data on cards.
But the announcement was met with an outcry from passengers, who expressed frustration about their inability to see fare deductions and card balances when tapping out. Some who tried upgrading their ez-link cards on Jan 10 also faced delays due to a surge in transaction volume.
On Jan 22, Mr Chee said the Government will spend an additional $40 million to extend the lifespan of the card-based ticketing system and allow passengers to continue using the older payment cards.
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VERDY'S APPROACH AN EYE-OPENER
Former Lions turned coaches Alam Shah and Isa inspired by stint with Japanese club
Lions' morale-boosting win comes at a price
The Lions got a much-needed morale booster ahead of the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Championship as they beat Tokyo Verdy 2-1 on Oct 11 in the second of three friendlies against J1 League opponents in their Japan training tour.
Conditions to blame for 'ugly' draw, says Messi
Argentina were held to a 1-1 draw by Venezuela on Lionel Messi's return, as Brazil got their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign back on track with a last-gasp 2-1 victory over Chile on Oct 10.
Belgium punish Italy at set pieces in 2-2 draw
Italy coach Luciano Spalletti blamed bad luck, as Belgium bounced back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with his 10-man side in Rome on Oct 10 to boost their hopes of reaching the Nations League quarter-finals.
CARSLEY'S MIDFIELD OVERLOAD BACKFIRES
England temp boss dismayed by mistakes as Three Lions lose to Greece for first time
Player strike in England unlikely: Sports law expert
The chorus of frustrated players and managers speaking out against football's gruelling fixture schedule continues to grow, with Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate the latest to say he would support players' right to strike.
SOCCEROOS HAVE NO FEAR
They head to Japan with confidence despite never having beaten the Samurai Blue there
Toyota back in F1 with Haas tie-up
The United States-owned Haas Formula One team and Toyota announced a multi-year technical partnership on Oct 11, in a move bringing Japan's biggest carmaker back to grand prix racing for the first time since 2009.
SABALENKA TO STICK TO HER BRAVE PLAN
World No. 2 will be aggressive in Wuhan semi against Gauff; Fritz takes on Djokovic
Nadal's beauty lay in his purity as a competitor
To appreciate the retiring Rafael Nadal we can flip through record books, hunt down Uncle Toni, sift the clay for archaeological clues, speak to Roger Federer's therapist, delve into the physics of spin, but really it's best if we start with a dictionary.
