Trials for cashless commutes to widen

Singapore

TWO in every three public-transport commuters in Singapore still use cash to reload their EZ-link cards, and maintaining the top-up facilities at train stations and on buses imposes extra costs of S$20 million each year.

With the push under the Smart Nation initiative to have a fully cashless public transport system by 2020, the government hopes that, at some point, all commuters, including tourists, will not have to endure the hassle of cash top-ups.

As Senior Minister of State for Transport Lam Pin Min put it, they should not even need a CEPAS card to pay for their public transport fares, as more people get on board the new …