Transport authority works on rolling out stalled cashless system

National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) technicians are working to resolve a hitch which stalled the rollout of the cashless system in July last year.

NTSA director-general Francis Meja said the agency was currently addressing compatibility issues in order to make the system work with different gadgets offered by a number of service providers.

The system was supposed to accept cards from different service providers but failed to accept some.

Mr Meja said the agency was also working on lowering charges levied by service providers after public service vehicle owners complained that they were exorbitant.

“We are currently resolving the issues of interoperability and working to strike a consensus on service charges that will be acceptable for both parties involved before rolling out the cashless system,” said Mr Meja.

READ: Cashless matatu fares roll-out flops yet again

The service providers were supposed to charge matatu owners at least two per cent of the money collected per day. Mr Major said the system, if well executed, will benefit consumers who will be spared arbitrary fare increments.

“The system did not start as planned but this does not mean that we will not achieve our objectives.

‘‘This is the beginning of the journey that we are certain will come to fruition and we are not going to relent on the matter,” he said.

“One thing they should be assured of is that the new regulations will eventually take effect,” Mr Major assured matatu operators.

He said that they should look at the system as a long term investment and not a means of making quick returns.

Once in place, the system will make money for them in the long run, he said. Safaricom, Equity Bank and Hong Kong-based firm TapTo are some of the firms which were targeting matatus with cashless payment plans.

The system will see consumers switch from paying for fare in cash to electronic payments through swiping cards on special gadgets.