Commuters run into problems upgrading EZ-Link cards amid complaints over switch to SimplyGo
A surge in transaction volumes has caused the SimplyGo app and ticketing machines to be less responsive, says the Land Transport Authority.
A sign next to a ticketing machine at City Hall MRT states that upgrading to SimplyGo may take a few minutes because of high traffic. (Photo: CNA/Abigail Ng)
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SINGAPORE: Failed upgrades leading to invalid cards and a longer-than-expected processing time were among the problems faced by commuters attempting to upgrade their EZ-Link cards to the SimplyGo platform.
When CNA visited City Hall MRT station around lunchtime on Friday (Jan 12), several people were seen using the ticketing machines to upgrade their cards. Most succeeded with some minor issues, but one failed.
One angry commuter told CNA she was unable to upgrade her card at two stations. “I tried two cards at different machines, one here and one in Commonwealth, both failed.
“If you want us to upgrade, please make the machine better. Don’t waste time,” she said, before rushing off for work without giving her name.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced on Tuesday that adult EZ-Link cards and NETS FlashPay cards cannot be used on public transport from Jun 1. They must be upgraded to SimplyGo EZ-Link cards or exchanged for NETS Prepaid Cards.
In the days since, commuters have aired their grievances online, with a top complaint being that card balances are not displayed at MRT fare gates or bus card readers for SimplyGo cards. Others have also commented that they were unable to upgrade their cards.
Two other commuters at City Hall station experienced hiccups - the machine initially dispensed receipts saying the upgrade failed - but the process resumed when they left their cards on the reader.
After around five minutes, their cards were successfully transitioned to SimplyGo.
Both waited at least five minutes for their cards to be upgraded. The instructions on the machine said the upgrade could take up to one minute, but a sign posted nearby said it could take a few minutes due to “high traffic”.
Mr Siddiq, a Cisco officer, received three failed receipts before his card was upgraded. “You just have to leave it. A lot of people don’t know, then they just walk off,” he said.
When this reporter tried to upgrade an EZ-Link card, it took about two minutes before the machine said the upgrade failed.
The receipt said: “You may not be able to use your card as upgrading to SimplyGo was not completed. Please resume upgrading to SimplyGo or proceed to the TransitLink Ticket Office for assistance.”
The TransitLink Ticket Office had a queue of around eight people at the time, with only one staff member serving commuters. CNA approached several in the queue, but they said they were not seeking help to upgrade their cards to SimplyGo.
In response to CNA's queries about the problems commuters have faced, LTA said there had been a surge in the number of commuters upgrading their cards at ticketing machines.
It added that more people also downloaded the SimplyGo app after its announcement earlier this week.
"The surge in transaction volume resulted in the app and ticketing machines becoming less responsive. TransitLink has made enhancements to their app to address the issue and existing app users will be prompted to update their app," said an LTA spokesperson.
"LTA has also been working with our vendors to enhance our backend systems to handle more upgrades.Â
"We apologise for the inconvenience caused. We are monitoring the situation closely and will make further adjustments if needed to improve the transition process."
BLOCKED CARDS
Some netizens took to SimplyGo’s Facebook page to complain about issues they faced with the upgrade, including one who said he was told the system was down and his card could not be unblocked until Monday.
He said MRT staff asked him to use a bank card or purchase a new card in the meantime.
Another commenter warned others not to use the ticketing machines. “The upgrade fails and it’s a waste of time. My card was blocked instantly too after the failed upgrade and there’s nothing the SMRT (staff) can do to unblock it,” she wrote.
Yet another commenter said MRT staff told her to upgrade her card in February due to system glitches.
Ms Trena Chan, 24, successfully upgraded her card on Friday. She said she did not know much about SimplyGo before this week and still does not understand the rationale behind the move.
“It’s mandated so I have to do it, if not I can’t take the MRT anymore, but what’s the point?” she asked. She added that her concern was mainly what she needed to do, and how older people would be able to navigate the change.
“I’m figuring it out first, then I’ll tell my dad how to do it,” she said.
