Today marks the official rollout of the Muvo card to all commuters using People Mover and Durban Transport buses, in the eThekwini Transit System, and implementation of the city's first large-scale cashless transit tariff system.
The card, developed by Standard Bank's Beyond Payments unit, uses contactless technology to provide tap-and-pay functionality. The ticket machines and reading devices aboard the buses and at self-service kiosks have been provided by transport IT specialist Almex.
“The card is an anonymous debit MasterCard that is coupled with the National Department of Transport's (NDOT) specified ticketing solution. It is also prefunded and reloadable, and can be used as a standard EMV MasterCard, as well as in a contactless environment, enabled though the MasterCard PayPass contactless technology,” says Standard Bank.
The People Mover buses were fitted with electronic ticketing devices and commuters used the contactless cards for payments during the pilot phase of the project, which started in February this year. Kiosks for loading money onto the cards have also been set up along the inner city bus route.
Beyond Payments says the ticketing devices are now being installed in all buses in eThekwini and 50 000 Muvo cards will be issued to commuters free of charge, over the course of the next two months. “Commuters can load funds into their cards at 20 fixed sales points located in the city, or they can do so in one of 14 Muvo vans that will operate along the various routes.”
The Muvo card is capable of storing different ticket types - such as scholar or pensioner tickets, or tickets for different routes. According to Beyond Payments, the Muvo card is also the first card of its kind to be deployed in SA in full compliance with the NDOT's regulations - meaning the system can be adopted by any municipality around the country.
Cashless wallet
Business development manager of Beyond Payments Mike Hughes says: “The card also allows for employers and parents to load their employees and children's cards remotely. In addition, the light Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FICA) limits mean that, even though the cards are anonymous, there are solutions in place to replace cards in the event of theft or loss.”
Hughes adds the Muvo card is an entry into the banking environment for SA's unbanked population, as it can function as an electronic wallet, which can be used at retail outlets.
The card is accepted by merchants displaying the MasterCard or MasterCard PayPass logos, allowing cardholders to use the card for more than just transit payments. A maximum of R3 000 can be loaded onto the Muvo card per month, with the maximum balance at any single time being R1 500. The maximum payment per transaction is R200. These limits comply with the regulations of the FICA that allow for the cards to be issued anonymously.
While the adoption of near-field communication payment technologies, such as the Google Wallet, may take years to be adopted in SA, it is believed contactless payment solutions - especially in the transport sector - will be taken up on a large scale.
The Muvo card was first unveiled in October last year and, at the time, eThekwini mayor James Nxumalo said the smartcard marked the beginning of the first phase of the municipality's journey towards its Integrated Rapid Transport Network (IRPTN). The IRPTN will culminate in nine major transport corridors using trains, buses and taxis. The Muvo card is expected to be implemented across all modes of public transport.
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