On 12 January 2024, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced why SimplyGo doesn’t show your card value, even though they “technically” could.
They want your SimplyGo experience to be as smooth as possible, and showing your card value could clutter things up which means long wait times before boarding.
And for that to not happen, SimplyGo removes the display of the card balance. By showing the number, it could take a few seconds more for the screen to load instead of the sign appearing immediately like how it is currently, as the data need to be retrieved from the backend.
Add all the seconds and it could mean a long queue during peak hours.
But the woes of commuters do not go unheard. In response to the disappointment, LTA recommends using the app to check your balance instead. And if you don’t like the app, you can still head down to the nearest bus interchange or train station to check your balance.
Old vs New System
This decision to go all-in with SimplyGo has sparked some serious head-scratching. People are questioning if the change was really necessary. According to LTA, the old Card-Based Ticketing system was too outdated.
Two out of three adults are already using SimplyGo since December 2023, so basically, why not shift entirely?
And if they did renew the old system, it would’ve been too expensive to run it.
But the upgrade didn’t go as smoothly as expected. Some commuters at City Hall station weren’t able to upgrade, and others got receipts saying the upgrade failed.
LTA admits the surge in upgrades caused app and machine meltdowns.
But no worries, they’re rolling out fixes.
Ambassadors to the Rescue
Despite the hiccups, LTA is playing the supportive friend card. They’ve got service ambassadors at stations, ready to assist confused commuters. Plus, they promise ongoing tech upgrades to make SimplyGo a breeze.
Fret not, there are still a few more months before the system becomes fully implemented on 1 June 2024.
So if you’re one of those people who has to delete photos and videos every time you want to snap or download something, you’d best do it now.
Here’s a simplified summary of the South Korea martial law that even a 5-year-old would understand:
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