Analysis: LTA's SimplyGo missteps — what went wrong and what needs to be done
SINGAPORE — Having bought more time for the full adoption of the SimplyGo payment system for adult public transport fares, the authorities now have a laundry list of things to do — perhaps even a whole rebrand — to ensure any relaunch of a similar effort avoids more heat, experts said.
This includes improving communication, implementing missing features such as showing card balances and deductions and enhancing the benefits of SimplyGo to win commuters over.
On Monday (Jan 22), the Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced that it would be postponing plans which it had announced on Jan 9 for the full adoption of SimplyGo for adult fares from June 1.
Allowing commuters to keep using the older-style cards such as Ez-link beyond June 1 would cost S$40 million, the Government said.
The postponement came less than two weeks after LTA announced that Nets FlashPay and Ez-link non-concession adult cards — known as card-based ticketing cards — that had not been upgraded to SimplyGo would not be accepted for public transport payments from June 1.
That announcement generated a public backlash, with the lack of display of the card's balance and deducted fares at MRT gantries and bus card readers a key complaint.
LTA had explained that while displaying balances and deducted fares was technically possible, it would take a few seconds, thus causing longer queues.
“When a user taps his SimplyGo Ez-link card, it will take a few seconds for the fare gates and card readers to obtain and display the card balance and deduction information from the backend system," it said on Jan 12.
Transport analysts told TODAY that LTA now has its work cut out for it, with adjustments needed in its policy decision-making process and in its communication with commuters.
There were mixed views about the political impact LTA's decision might have, but political experts said LTA will have to first address how the S$40 million will be used.
DECISION MAKING
WHAT WENT WRONG: In response to queries on Monday, LTA said that it conducted "market testing and focus group sessions" with adult commuters and concession cardholders before finalising the SimplyGo transition plan. It also issued account-based cards to more than 1,000 concession cardholders in 2021, to let them test and report back on their experience. However, Associate Professor Raymond Ong of the National University of Singapore questioned whether the focus group research was comprehensive enough. "Were considerations on how to transition towards a fully SimplyGo system part of the focus group questions," he said, noting that issues with SimplyGo could have been highlighted and addressed earlier. "We also don't know the exact details of the focus group sessions, like how many people participated and were they representative of different groups such as the elderly and lower-income persons." Associate Professor Walter Theseira from the Singapore University of Social Sciences added that most people have to voluntarily sign up to be in a trial. This might mean they are already "conceptually agreeable" towards SimplyGo. WHAT SHOULD BE DONE: LTA acknowledged concession card holders' feedback to see fare deductions and cash balance at the gantry during its trial and focus groups. However, Assoc Prof Terence Ho of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy said LTA should have "have also been attuned to similar concerns shared by non-concession cardholders". "LTA’s market testing procedures or protocols need strengthening if they were unable to pick up this sentiment among non-concession cardholders," he said. "It is worth investing greater time, attention and effort in such outreach efforts in future change management exercises as it could help avert policy U-turns which have both a financial and reputational cost." Suggestions by experts include holding a public consultation, and ensuring focus groups are representative and all feedback is considered. Issues identified should be fixed or addressed in communication efforts, they said. Assoc Prof Theseira also suggested adding more benefits so commuters would be more willing to adopt SimplyGo. It could look into allowing commuters to use subsidies directly without needing to collect vouchers. For example, this could be done by capping the amount a card daily is charged regardless of the times it is tapped, said Assoc Prof Theseira.COMMUNICATION
WHAT WENT WRONG: Transport analyst Terence Fan from the Singapore Management University (SMU) said LTA's sudden announcement "threw commuters off", especially those who might have just got their expired Ez-link cards replaced. "The six months was not enough considering you have a third of adult commuters that need to make the switch to SimplyGo," he said, which added to the sense of urgency and concern commuters had. He added that LTA also did not address its solutions for flaws prominently. "Singaporeans are used to change when it's better in all aspects... but when the cons are not communicated upfront, questions will arise about why the need for change," Assistant Professor Fan said, adding this could make them more apprehensive. LTA has stated several times that two-thirds of adult commuters use SimplyGo in its reasoning for the decision to transition away from its older transit payment systems. Noting that 41 per cent of adult commuters use their bank cards to make public transport payments, Assoc Prof Theseira said some might not have been aware they had been tapping into SimplyGo technology. "This group do not want to bother with dealing with card balances and are directly charged for their transit payment... but to them, they are using their bank card, not SimplyGo," he said. WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE: Might a rebrand be needed for SimplyGo? Assoc Prof Theseira said it this is possible considering the negative public image caused by this episode, but warned against increasing expenditure for the implementation. Education is key, he added, with many commuters still unaware of what SimplyGo is and its benefits. Dr Carol Soon of the Institute of Policy Studies said that for LTA's communication efforts to work, it "has to be considered and planned upstream, alongside product development and implementation design". Concerns commuters might have should be identified early on, and LTA needs to address these from the get-go during the announcement, added experts like Assoc Prof Ho. Along with communication, more time should be given for commuters to adapt and accept the change, said Asst Prof Fan, who suggested informing commuters a year in advance.POLITICAL COST?
Experts had mixed views on the political cost of LTA's decision to postpone its plans for SimplyGo. Ms Nydia Ngiow, managing director of consultancy firm BowerGroupAsia in Singapore, said that while the move was based on public concerns, there are some questioning if it was done because of an upcoming election. Singapore's next General Election has to be called by November 2025. She noted a forum letter published by The Straits Times on September 2023 highlighting concerns about transport fares not being shown with SimplyGo. Ms Ngiow said that this "inevitably leads to questions over why the Government is only choosing to listen now, after an avalanche of backlash after Jan 9, instead of tackling all these issues earlier on". Assoc Prof Theseira said the political cost of not shelving plans could be higher as "trust is harder to rebuild". As commuters were fearful of being overcharged as their card balances were not displayed — and this could not be addressed immediately — the Government could lose the trust of its people unhappy of being unheard. "Election or not, the Government cannot proceed in a situation where a significant minority of people feel this way," he said. Assoc Prof Eugene Tan of SMU said: "The U-turn can be said to be inherently political in this regard: It’s doing the right thing even if it is embarrassing. "It’s an excellent move – one which requires recognising the legitimate and real public concerns with regard to the SimplyGo changes and exercising the moral courage to do what is right."
Source: TODAY
