I’m all for going cashless especially when taking public transport. Touch ‘n Go has always been the de facto payment method and now there’s a new cashless way to pay and it’s called MyRapidTap.
The app which is available on the Apple AppStore and Google Play Store, comes with a journey planner and an eWallet for you to pay for your rides. At the moment, the QR-based eWallet which is called RapidPay is only available for MRT feeder buses.
As shown in the video, you’ll need to launch the app and scan the QR code that’s placed on the bus. Next, you have to wait for the digital receipt and then show it to the bus captain. I don’t know about you, but this seems to be very manual and cumbersome compared to tapping your Touch ‘n Go card onto a terminal.
If you’re a frequent public transport user, you’ll definitely have a Touch ‘n Go card in your wallet or you can use the embedded version that comes with your IC. In addition, you can’t use the MyRapidTap app for MRT, LRT or Komuter just yet, so I don’t see the appeal for users to create a new eWallet just to pay for the shuttle bus.
What MyRapid could do is to introduce QR Transit that was tested by Touch ‘n Go Digital a year ago. Instead of scanning a QR code, the app could do the opposite by showing a QR code that can be used at the terminal. If the transaction is successful, you’ll hear a beep which is similar to a regular Touch ‘n Go card.
This allows automated payment and it will save time at the gate or while getting on the bus. The method also frees up the bus captain’s time as he or she doesn’t need to wait and check for digital receipts manually.
We have downloaded the MyRapidTap app and overall it looks pretty half-baked. The main highlight feature which is the Journey Planner doesn’t work at all and it keeps showing connection error. Even the front page where it shows the latest promotions and deals from partners doesn’t seem to work. To give it a try, you’ll need to top up a minimum of RM10 and it only accepts online banking top-ups via FPX.
Have you tried the MyRapidTap app? And would you maintain a new eWallet just for shuttle buses? Let us know in the comments below.
