Heart of the Matter podcast: Why are commuters unhappy over the SimplyGo switch?

[LaksaNews]

Commuters have expressed frustration since the Land Transport Authority announced that EZ-Link and NETS FlashPay cards cannot be used on buses and trains from June. Why is there a shift to the SimplyGo system? What is the difference in payment types? And what could the authorities do better to communicate the change?

Steven Chia gets answers from Sumit Agarwal, professor at the School of Business at the National University of Singapore and Walter Theseira, who heads the urban transportation programme at the Singapore University of Social Sciences.

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)
Associate Professor Walter Theseira:

A key lesson from the SimplyGo episode is that we can't assume as an expert policymaker or administrator, that what we understand and know about the system is the same as what the member of the public understands and knows.

Professor Sumit Agarwal:

It's a classic case of bringing in new technology, there is a status quo bias that I like what I like and I'm so used to dealing with that ... People knew how much they paid. Now there's uncertainty, how much did I really pay? It creates frustration.

Jump to these key moments:

• 1:36 Difference in card payment systems
• 4:11 Why fare balances can't be seen?
• 10:32 Why concession card holders don't need to upgrade
• 12:20 Communication gaps in implementation
• 16:00 Why SimplyGo technology is better
• 18:48 Lessons for ERP 2.0 rollout

Find more episodes of Heart of the Matter here.

A new episode of Heart of the Matter drops every Friday. Follow the podcast on Apple or Spotify for the latest updates.

Have a great topic for us? Drop the team an email at cnapodcasts [at] mediacorp.com.sg

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