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Sober IT truths from the island-state

by Michael Tan, Singapore

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New Singapore land transport e-payment systems: Will it improve on a dangerous situation?

Jul 14, 2008 15:52

Two years ago, I blogged that the Electronic Road Pricing's (ERP) requirement for prepaid cards was a danger to motorists as there are idiots who would just stop in the middle of the highway while searching for their CashCards. It's quite logical--prepaid cards have a tendency to "finish their cash" and when that happens the most composed of drivers would be distracted.

Now, they have more than 60 ERP gantries and the chances of distraction have increased dramatically since ERP is still on the prepaid payment system based on the NETS CashCard.

Would it be reasonable to think that if there were a new system to be developed, it would actually be based on a "billing type" of system where road users have an account with some organization and pay every month? Definitely.

So in an article on Channel NewsAsia today, New e-payment system and IU units for road-users, I read that article a few times to look for the word "credit" or "billing". Nope, couldn't. It mentioned a new standard for road users' e-payment system, called CEPAS. A new payment application will be run on top of this standard called the Symphony E-Payment system, created by IBM.

CEPAS is capable of credit transactions, but a look at the Symphony E-Payment system project page showed that the 2009 rollout will include only prepaid cards, though those issued by other vendors other than NETS will also be allowed.

They cite LOWER COSTS because of multiple vendors for prepaid cards, but actually I don't think the cost of a CashCard today is at all a factor in the consideration of anybody. Lower costs for Government maybe, but definitely not the users, unless some prepaid card company decides to sell the card for cheaper than its stored value.

No mention of billing and credit, so I guess Symphony on CEPAS' first implementation will not improve on the danger of idiots stopping in the middle of the road when their prepaid cards run out. So ERP is pretty much as dangerous as before, only now the danger is multifold as more and more ERP gantries get constructed.

Raymond Lim, try to save some lives here and make a billing system please!

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About Michael Tan

Michael Tan is lucky enough not to have to choose between his job and his passion. He is the responsible for all aspects of developing new businesses and sourcing new productlines for a regional IT distribution company. He also oversees the company's legal affairs as General Counsel. In real life, he is a technology enthusiast, from both the fun and business viewpoint. The only choices he has to make are whether to play with his astro telescopes, his PC games, his Wii console, hit the track, tweak his car, or refine his biofilters, post his blogs, research for a new digicam, scour every forum to feed his habit further, play with his son… You can reach Michael at michaeltanyk@gmail.com ALL BLOGPOSTS ONLY REFLECT MICHAEL'S OPINIONS AND NOBODY ELSES'.