When the Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced that non-SimplyGo EZ-Link cards would not be valid for public transport payments from 1 June, it caused quite a bit of uproar.
Many users spoke out against the decision for various reasons, such as being unable to view their balance.
Image for illustration purposes only
Even Ms Ho Ching, wife of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, had something to say about it — albeit in a less straightforward manner.
After plans to extend the existing adult card-based ticketing system were halted, Ms Ho took to social media once again to share her thoughts.
On Friday (26 Jan), Ms Ho penned a Facebook post praising the authorities “for having the guts to listen and take the decision to reverse the earlier LTA plan”.
She also shared a commentary by Channel NewsAsia (CNA) saying that systems should serve people instead of the other way around.
Source: HO Ching on Facebook
Ms Ho pointed out that while having one-third of commuters still using the stored value card “sounds like a minority”, they still account for “over a million trips” daily.
“[That] is a lot of user experience and needs that shouldn’t be overlooked,” she wrote.
The former Temasek Holdings CEO also called out the apparent rush to retire the older card-based system “without regard to user needs and confidence”
Now that the EZ-Link phase-out is on hold, Ms Ho commended those who had the “courage to reverse the decision”.
Ms Ho previously hinted at her stance on the SimplyGo plan when she shared a Facebook post by Critical Spectator pointing out its issues.
Source: Critical Spectator on Facebook
In a nutshell, the post acknowledged that the SimplyGo app is modern and functional.
However, it also kills the ability to view the fare and one’s balance, which many find useful:
[The] nature of progress is making things better not worse.
Fortunately for those who were against the forced transition to SimplyGo, the government decided to U-turn on the move.
On 22 Jan, they announced that commuters can continue to use their EZ-Link and NETS FlashPay cards for public transportation even after 1 June.
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Featured image adapted from Tatler and Land Transport Authority – We Keep Your World Moving on Facebook.
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