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Taxis fitted with e-fare systems

Staff Writer
By Staff Writer, ITWeb
Johannesburg, 03 Jul 2012

JSE-listed DigiCore Holdings has inked a deal with Translog Management, which will see the roll-out of its TAP-I-FARE electronic fare collection solution into about 3 000 minibus taxis in KwaZulu-Natal over the next two years.

DigiCore, which owns vehicle-tracking system Ctrack, will initially target all taxis and commuters within the Grange and Westgate, Ridge Park, Buffer, KwaNyamazane, Alexandra Road Extension, Richmond Crest, Pelham, France and Napierville areas.

The KwaZulu-Natal project follows the successful pilot project for electronic fare collection in the public transport environment, in Cape Town. The project started yesterday and will be rolled out across the District of uMgungundlovu, once it has been refined.

The uMgungundlovu Regional Taxi Council, with its 40 taxi associations, collectively owns 3 700 taxis and transports more than 500 000 people daily.

The current systems are cash-based, which means checks and balances regarding vehicle condition, driver behaviour and passenger safety have been difficult to manage, monitor and enforce, say taxi owners.

Safety critical

TAP-I-FARE MD Pierre Bruwer says the technology, powered by Ctrack, enables and supports the convenience and safety factors around electronic fare collection for both the owner and commuter.

The project involves fitting:

1. Ctrack to every taxi, which will alert operators and the management centre regarding speeding, route violations, accidents, theft and hijacking.
2. A smart card (EMV) system, TAP-I-FARE, and a cheap bank card.
3. On-board cameras to ensure the safety of passengers with real-time viewing of drivers, routes and passengers.

“We expect to make similar announcements in other provinces in the very near future. Having partnered with Absa and MasterCard obviously makes things so much easier for us, in providing the transit industry with a solution that meets all government and legislative requirements,” adds Bruwer.

Boy Zondi, regional chairperson of the taxi council, says: “The time has come for our commuters and citizens to see our taxis as a safe, affordable, convenient and eco-friendly means of commuting.

“The taxi industry has grown over the years, and we, as the district of uMgungundlovu, are proud to be among the first in the country to embark on a project that will see the implementation of controls and rewards for good driving behaviour within the taxi industry.”

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