Interim card for senior citizens

Issued By: Transit Link Pte Ltd

When the new lower ez-link fares take effect on 1 July 2002, even senior citizens who have just put in their applications for the Senior Citizen ez-link Cards will not lose out. On behalf of the public transport operators, TransitLink will make available an Interim Senior Citizen ez-link Card from any of its Ticket Office (TO) at MRT stations and bus interchanges from today, 27 June 2002.

The interim card is valid for use and repeated revaluations within 30 days from the date of purchase. They are specially introduced for eligible Senior Citizen ez-link card applicants who have yet to receive their cards for use. This is so that they could choose to pay the lower ez-link card concession fare after 1 July, while awaiting the delivery of their personalised ez-link cards.

Since the launch of the application exercise on 31 March this year, TransitLink has to-date already delivered about 150,000 cards to eligible applicants. It takes about 4 weeks from receipt of an eligible Senior Citizen ez-link card application to process the card and have it delivered to the applicant. About 10% of all the applications received however had missed either attaching a photocopy of the applicants’ IC or would require a resend of the applicants’ photograph. This is as the photos may be bent, stapled or visually unusable for photodigitising and printing onto the ez-link card. These applications will be processed once TransitLink receives the necessary items from applicants who are informed either via post or over the phone.

In fact, for all eligible and complete applications sent in by 14 June, TransitLink and its contractor will endeavour to have the cards delivered for use by 1 July 2002. This leaves an estimated 16,000 more new applications received to date whose applicant would stand to benefit from this interim scheme.

These Interim Senior Citizen Cards bear the design of the yet-to-be launched Standard Tickets. The processors within these smartcards have however already been re-formatted to allow senior citizens to enjoy travel on concession fares during the valid period.

Eligible senior citizens can buy an Interim Card when they produce their original NRIC for verification. Priced at $13 ($3 deposit and minimum $10 travel value) the remaining deposit and travel value are refundable upon return of the Interim Card to any TO or Passenger Service Centre (PSC) anytime before 10 August 2002. Only one card is allowed per eligible senior citizen who is not already in possession and use of a Senior Citizen ez-link card.

Applicants will be informed of the interim scheme through the TOs, CCs, SMRT’s PSCs and also at the StarHub Helpbooths when requests for the Senior Citizen ez-link Card application forms are made. The acknowledgement card, which is sent to acknowledge receipt of all eligible and complete applications sent in will also inform applicants of this interim measure available while their application is in progress.

For more information, commuters are invited to visit the websites www.transitlink.com.sg or call our Hotline at 1800 767 4333.

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