SINGAPORE - If you or your elderly parents have received an SMS message informing them to claim their $50 transport voucher by today - the message is inaccurate, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Ministry of Transport (MOT) in a joint statement on Friday (June 12).
It emphasised: "There is no need to rush to redeem the voucher as the redemption period is until the end of next year (Dec 31, 2016)."
As part of the SG50 Seniors package, Singapore citizens and Permanent Residents who are 60 years and above on or before Dec 31, 2015, will receive a SG50 Seniors public transport voucher letter in June.
They can bring this letter and credit the voucher into their senior citizen concession card or any other stored value travel card at any Add Value Machine Plus or TransitLink Ticket Office or Concession Card Replacement Office.
The statement by MOH and MOT continued: "The (SMS) message did not originate from MOH, MOT or TransitLink, and we are investigating the matter."
Having been alarmed by the inaccurate SMS message though, MOH and MOT confirmed that a large number of senior citizens have approached TransitLink ticket offices and gone to Add Value Machines on Friday, to redeem their vouchers on Friday.
It clarified: "Although this is ahead of the official start of the redemption period on June 15, we have allowed this early redemption to proceed, rather than turn the elderly away."
From next Monday (June 15), TransitLink will arrange for additional counters in 20 locations to facilitate the redemption of the voucher.
A list of the locations here: http://www.transitlink.com.sg
For more information, call TransitLink Hotline on 1800-2255 663 or e-mail feedback@transitlink.com.sg or go to www.sg50seniors.sg
