Temasek Engineering School, Singapore

For your info

MASS ez-link card REPLACEMENT BEGINS
Current ez-link cardholders have 9 months to exchange their cards – from 9 January to 30 September 2009

SINGAPORE – 8 January, 2009

1. Members of the public will be able to exchange their ez-link cards for new cards that are CEPAS–compliant in a free one-for-one card replacement exercise starting from tomorrow (9 January). The new cards are required for the next generation e-payment system for public transport, Symphony for e-Payment (SeP) which was launched by the Land Transport Authority in December 2008. SeP is based on the Singapore Standard for Contactless ePurse Application (CEPAS) and allows more card issuers to issue CEPAS-compliant cards for use in Singapore’s public transit system, thus giving commuters more choice.

2. The card replacement exercise will be conducted in stages, starting from 9 January with the replacement of cards for holders of the ez-link Adult Anonymous cards. This will be followed by the replacement of cards for holders of concession cards from 16 February.

3. The one-for-one card replacement exercise will end in September 2009, when the current EIFS fare system will be discontinued. After September 2009, the old ez-link cards cannot be used for travel on public transit. However, cardholders may still get a refund on any remaining value in their old cards up to 12 years from the date the card is first encoded for use.

Avenues for card exchange

4. Cardholders may exchange their cards at the following venues:

Adult Anonymous card>>>> 9 January – 30 September 2009>>>(i) *62 Singapore Post Office branches
(ii) 42 TransitLink Ticket Offices
(iii) * Roving Centres at 13 selected Bus Interchanges

Child card>>>>16 Feb-30Sep 2009>>>>Any of the 42 TransitLink Ticket Offices.

Student and Tertiary concession cards>>>>From 16 Feb 2009>>>>New student/tertiary concession cards which  are CEPAS-compliant will be distributed directly to students by their respective schools from February.Details on the collection of the new card and exchange of the current concession card will be provided by the respective schools.

Senior Citizen concession card>>>>from Apr>>>>Cardholders will receive their new concession card and details for the exchange of their current card by mail from end March 2009.When they get their new cards, cardholders will need to activate their new card and exchange their current card at the following venues:
(i) 42 TransitLink Ticket Offices
(ii) * Roving Centres at 13 selected Bus Interchanges
(iii) *R oving Centres at 23 selected Community Clubs

Non-MOE student and National Serviceman concession cards>>>>From 2009>>>New concession cards will be issued directly to cardholders by their respective institutions/ organisations.Details on the collection of the new card and exchange of the current concession will be provided to cardholders by the respective institutions/organisations by June 2009.

Note: Current cards with GIRO/Credit Card Auto Top-Up facility can only be exchanged at the TransitLink Ticket Offices.

5. The card replacement exercise applies to both valid and expired adult ez-link card and valid concession cards. Holders of co-brand credit or debit cards with an ez-link purse will be informed by their respective banks on the replacement procedure for their cards.

6. To ease queuing time during the card replacement exercise, more counters will be opened and operating hours extended at selected MRT stations with high commuter traffic. Additional manpower will be on-hand to assist cardholders and to direct commuters to the right counters.

What commuters need to do

7. Cardholders may exchange up to a maximum of three cards at a time to help minimise waiting time for others.

8. At the point of card exchange, any remaining value in their card will be transferred to the new card. Their old card will be retained. Cardholders whose current Adult ez-link, Senior Citizen, Tertiary and National Servicemen concession card has a value of less than -$3.00 should top up their card before exchanging it. Student concession cardholders should top-up their card if their current card has a value of less than -$1.00 before exchanging it.. Top-up service will not be provided at the card exchange counter to minimise waiting time for others. Those who need to top-up their cards may do so at the automatic top-up machines (General Ticketing Machines and Add Value Machines) and Passenger Service Centres.

9. As the non-transit applications for the new ez-link cards will be available in phases, commuters who wish to continue to be able to use non-transit applications should exchange their cards at a later date, when these applications become available. (Examples of non-transit applications include use for payment at convenience stores, libraries, and on SMRT taxis.)

Credit Card and GIRO Top-up facilities

10. The Auto Credit Card or GIRO Top-Up facilities on the current ez-link card will be discontinued when the card is exchanged. Refund on the current card will be transferred to the new card issued or to the designated credit card account.

11. Cardholders will need to re-apply for the facility for their new card. All cardholders who are on Auto Credit Card Top-up facility and bank GIRO will be advised directly via mail by the respective scheme owners about their card replacement procedures.

Adult Anonymous Cards

12. EZ-Link will offer two auto top-up facilities for the new adult ez-link cards:
(i) Auto Credit Card Top-Up facility, available from 27 February 2009 or
(ii) Auto GIRO Top-Up facility, available from 27 July 2009

13. More details on each of these facilities will be made available on the EZ-Link website at www.ezlink.com.sg at a later date.

Concession Cards

14. Similarly, LTA who is the issuer of the new concession cards will offer two auto top-up facilities for these cards. The schemes will be managed by TransitLink Pte Ltd. Concession cardholders can re-apply for the facility when they receive their new card. Details of the application are as follows:

(i) Auto Top-Up (GIRO) facility, available from 16 March 2009
Application for the facility can be made via the General Ticketing Machines located in MRT and LRT stations. Non-Singaporeans may call TransitLink Hotline to request for an application form.

(ii) Auto Credit Card Top-Up facility, available from 27 July 2009
Details of the application for the facility will be announced via TransitLink website www.transitlink.com.sg at a later date.

15. ez-link Adult and concession cardholders who wish to continue using their current Auto Top-Up facility are advised to exchange their current card at a later date when these facilities become

available.

Features and benefits of the new ez-link card

16.. Unlike the existing ez-link card, the new ez-link card does not have a travel deposit. Commuters will have full use of the stored value of the card for transit and non-transit payments. To ensure commuters are familiar with the no-deposit feature and use of the new card, a brochure will be given to cardholders with their new card.

17. The brochure will highlight the no-deposit feature of the new card and remind cardholders to ensure that they have sufficient value in their cards to complete their journey before entering the transit system, and to top-up their cards when the balance is low (i.e. less than $5).

18 . From end-March, motorists with vehicles fitted with the next generation In-vehicle Unit can use the new ez-link card for Electronic Road Pricing transactions. By mid-2009, they can use the new card to make payments at carparks with Electronic Parking Systems that support the CEPAS standard.

19. Merchants or service providers that are ready to accept the new ez-link cards for payment will have stickers and notices of the new ez-link card displayed at their point of sales.

20. For enquiries on the card replacement exercise, members of the public are encouraged to call LTA, EZ-Link and TransitLink at the following numbers:

• • LTA at 1800 CALL LTA (1800 225 5582)
  • EZ-Link at 6496 8300 Operating hours: 8am – 6pm daily except Public Holidays
  • TransitLink at 1800-2255-663 Operating hours: 8am – 6pm daily except Public Holidays

I’hv just received this letter from my cousins.U guys got any info abt it? Why school never tell us go n change the EZlink card?