Members of Parliament (MPs) have taken to social media to voice their approval of our deferred transition into the SimplyGo era.

The Ministry of Transport (MOT) and Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced on Jan. 22 that it is extending the use of the old card-based ticketing (CBT) system for adult commuters, delaying the full transition to SimplyGo.

Non-SimplyGo cards were originally set to be phased out from Jun. 1, 2024 onwards.

Minister for Transport Chee Hong Tat said in a Facebook post on Jan. 22 that an additional S$40 million will be spent so that commuters can continue using their older-generation EZ-Link cards and NETS FlashPay cards.

The reversal of the decision to sunset the CBT system comes on the heels of public feedback, which flagged issues such as delays in converting EZ-Link cards to SimplyGo cards, and the inability to check fare deductions and card balances at fare gates and bus card readers when using SimplyGo cards.

In his statement, Chee acknowledged that the delays "could have been avoided with better preparation".

He added that commuters who bought or converted to SimplyGo cards from Jan. 9 to 22, 2024 may switch back to CBT cards at no additional charge.

Chee's announcement was met with quick responses from his fellow MPs, who voiced their support for the change of plans.

Here's what they had to say.

Lim Biow Chuan (Mountbatten SMC)

"Ha!! I had just filed a parliamentary question last week asking that LTA extends the validity of the NETS Flashpay card," Lim Biow Chuan said.

Lim, who is a member of the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) overseeing transport, said he "wasn't happy" about LTA's initial announcement to convert to SimplyGo, but is now "very glad" that the government is receptive to feedback and acted promptly.

He added that he'd heard from "several residents" who didn't know how to use the SimplyGo app and were upset at being pushed to change their existing MRT card, and had thus questioned if LTA had considered the impact of compelling seniors who are less IT savvy to make the switch.

Lim said:

"The extension of the existing adult CBT system is welcomed. LTA should maintain this current system until LTA is able to persuade commuters on the benefit of switching to the SimplyGo system."

Lim Wee Kiak, Canberra (Sembawang GRC)

Lim Wee Kiak said that he had previously voiced concerns over the migration to SimplyGo.

He outlined his filed parliamentary question in his Facebook post on Jan. 22, including asking about whether enhancements could be made for card balances to be displayed on public transport fare readers, and about what was being done to improve the SimplyGo app's reliability.

"Glad to hear the news today that LTA decided to keep [the] card based ticketing system," he said.

Christopher de Souza, Ulu Pandan (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC)

Christopher de Souza said he filed two parliamentary questions after receiving feedback on SimplyGo from residents, who spoke to him about not being able to see their card balances.

Namely, "to ask the Minister for Transport what is the reasoning behind the necessity for phasing out the card-based ticketing system for use on buses and trains in favour of the SimplyGo system", and "to ask the Minister for Transport with regard to the SimplyGo system, whether there are ways to inform commuters of their fare and balance at the point of tapping out without slowing down commute".

He noted the announcement that the CBT system would be retained.

"I am glad that MOT has taken into consideration very strong feedback from the public," de Souza said.

Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang SMC)

Also glad to see the postponement of the SimplyGo transition was Yip Hon Weng, who saw the move as indicative of the government's "willingness to listen and adapt".

He too has filed parliamentary questions for the next sitting, to further discuss the matter.

"My priority is to champion the needs of our community. While SimplyGo offers benefits, we must consider the impact on vulnerable users and ensure adequate support is provided," Yip said.

Leong Mun Wai (NCMP)

Progress Singapore Party (PSP) Secretary-General Leong Mun Wai spoke on behalf of his party.

Leong, a Non-constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP), voiced the PSP's support of LTA's decision to postpone the SimplyGo deadline, dubbing it "a step forward for digital inclusivity".

He also noted the transport minister's apology for delays in converting EZ-Link cards.

"It is a breath of fresh air to have a Minister apologise, take charge and reverse a publicly announced decision in response to public feedback," he added.

"The PSP strongly believes that it is beneficial for Singapore to have a working Parliament, where robust constructive debates between Government and opposition MPs result in positive changes in government policies for the benefit of Singaporeans. We are encouraged by the recent changes and responses, and we look forward to the Government’s clarification on how the 'additional S$40 million' is being spent to maintain the current ticketing system at the next Parliamentary sitting in February."

Top images via Mothership and Ministry of Transport/Facebook

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