The evolution of e-payments in public transport : Singapore's experience

The development of public transport ticketing in Singapore is traced from the automatic fare collection system introduced in 1987, to the current contactless smart card system used for travel across the entire public transport network.

Abstract

Public transport ticketing in Singapore has evolved over the past 20 years from manual cash collection to an advanced e-payment system using smart cards. This paper traces its development from the automatic fare collection system introduced in 1987 for the first metro system in Singapore, to the current contactless smart card system used for travel across the entire public transport network. The recent introduction of Symphony for e-Payment—an enhanced ticketing system based on open standards and which allows multiple card managers—marked another milestone in the evolution of e-payments in public transport. The use of a national e-purse standard CEPAS (Common E-Purse Application Specification) further enabled the development of a single transport card which can be used on both public transport and private transport i.e. road pricing and parking. This paper also shares the challenges and lessons learnt in facilitating the development of e-payment in transit and beyond. Figure 1: A variety of magnetic farecards Evolution of E-payments in Public Transport—Singapore’s Experience