SINGAPORE - The EZ-Link website is now back up, after being brought down for around 16 hours since Tuesday night, when POSB cardholders rushed to sign up for a free travel on Fridays scheme.

EZ-Link said in an update at 5.45pm on Wednesday that technical problems have been corrected and connections have been "more stable" in the past one hour.

Since 11.30pm on Tuesday, many have been unable to access the EZ-Link website, to activate the EZ-Reload automatic top-up service to qualify for the Fare Free Friday programme, which offers 100 per cent rebates for trips on the MRT, LRT and buses.

A Straits Times reader, retiree Alex Chua, 58, said in an e-mail that he wasted half-an-hour on Wednesday morning trying to sign up for EZ-Reload.

"I went to the POSB site, then clicked the link supposed to go to EZ-link site to do the EZ-Reload sign up. From 8.30 till now, the site cannot be accessed at all. My daughter tried to do it in her office, but also cannot reach the EZ-link site," he said.

To qualify for Fare Free Friday, commuters must either have the POSB Everyday credit card or PAssion POSB debit card. They also have to link their cards to EZ-Reload.

There are now about 50,000 cardholders on the EZ-Reload service and they will automatically qualify for Fare Free Friday.

The next 50,000 who activate EZ-Reload will be entered into the programme. New card applicants may also apply when they receive their cards.

An EZ-Link spokesman said: "The website is now configured for priority to continue to accept applications for EZ-Reload for Fare Free Friday. Customers who successfully apply for EZ-Reload will be notified by SMS if they are the first 50,000 cardholders who qualify for the promotion.

Mr Chua said: "If you want to set the limit (of 50,000), you must anticipate that many users will log in to your website within a short period of time, (and) you must then ensure that your system can cope."