Singapore’s EZ-Link and Malaysia’s Touch ‘n Go launched a new dual-currency contactless card yesterday. EZ-Link x Touch ’n Go Motoring Card is Southeast Asia’s first dual-currency cross-border contactless smart card.
With the Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) and Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA) at the Singapore-Malaysia border now in operation, motorists and travellers have a commuting framework to resume cross-border travel between the countries.
The RGL enables short-term cross-border travel for essential business and official purposes between the countries. Alternatively, the PCA allows Singapore and Malaysia residents who hold valid work passes to enter the countries for work purposes. Travelling between borders is still a hassle though. This is where the EZ-Link x Touch ’n Go Motoring Card comes in.
“The EZ-Link x Touch ’n Go Motoring Card offers motorists the convenience and flexibility of payment options in both countries. With the RGL established between Singapore and Malaysia and now in operation, motorists can look forward to a gradual and phased resumption of cross-border travel between the two countries,” said EZ-Link.
You can use the card like a regular Touch ‘n Go card, to pay highway tolls, parking fees, MRT and bus fares, as well as some Touch ‘n Go retail outlets. Alternatively, you can use the card to pay for Singapore for Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) payments, checkpoint toll charges and parking fees. However, it still cannot be used for public transport and retail usage in Singapore.
The card contains two electronic purses – an EZ-Link purse in SGD and a Touch ‘n Go purse in MYR. The funds in each purse are not interchangeable and must be used separately.
Currently, there’s no place to purchase the dual-currency card in Malaysia. However, in Singapore, it costs SGD7 (RM21) through Lazada Singapore. It will subsequently cost SGD10 (RM30) during the full launch in September 2020.
According to Lazada Singapore listing, the card cannot be used for Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) payment fees. VEP are fees paid by foreign vehicles entering Singapore. This makes the card more useful to Singaporeans as opposed to Malaysians.
While the EZ-Link site provides us with lots of information about the dual-currency card, the Touch ‘n Go site doesn’t mention it at all as the card on Lazada Singapore is issued by EZ-Link. So if you’d like to purchase the Touch ‘n Go x EZ-Link card you’d have to get it through Lazada’s Singapore store, or at selected 7-Eleven outlets in September.
