SINGAPORE, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Singapore's Land Transport Authority (LTA) and its subsidiary TransitLink are working towards a fully cashless vision for public transport by 2020.
The two authorities jointly announced on Friday that they will launch a series of initiatives where commuters will no longer use cash to pay for rides or to top up stored-value cards.
On one hand, the authorities will encourage and empower commuters to go cashless by expanding cashless payment options for stored-value card transactions.
They added an option of topping up stored-value cards via general ticketing machines this year, which is using personal bank cards, as well as mobile payment platforms like Apple Pay and Android Pay. The move increased cashless top-up transactions via general ticketing machines by over 70 percent in the first half of 2017.
On the other hand, they will progressively remove cash payment options for public transport transactions, including for fare payment on buses and for stored-value card services at train stations, over the next few years.
The authorities added that they will allocate service agents at train stations and make information available at ticketing touch-points and on various media platforms, in order to assist commuters.
They will also ensure that cash alternatives to paying for public transport rides, such as for the sale and top-up of stored-value cards, are available nearby, for example, at convenience stores, said the two authorities.
