The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) has announced that it will proceed with the deployment of a national electronic management system (EMS) for the entire fleet of taxis under its control. The state-of-the-art system features the latest security and functionality and will be based on the best of breed technology as supplied by current providers in the field.
Utilising independent consultant, OmniPay and its associates, Santaco has determined that the core of the solution will be based on the technology as currently offered by SurePaw Technologies. Originally the smartcard-based solution was implemented in South African taxis during the 1990s; SurePaw has further developed the solution in line with the recent requirements specified by the Department of Transport and the Reserve Bank.
This technology has been successfully used in public transportation and meets the exacting requirement of a proven technology offering a rich functionality to its users. This functionality as offered by SurePaw Technologies can be extended to other forms of commuter transport in South Africa.
The SurePaw EMS is a fully integrated solution which includes functionality for use by diverse stakeholders in public transportation. It employs advanced GPS, wireless, smartcard and other technologies. The Santaco system will enhance the control of taxi operating costs, provide for secure cashless fare payment, timeous maintenance and licensing. It will offer taxi owners numerous advantages and opportunities to increase revenue through value-added services, like advertising and mobile telephone.
This advanced equipment is integrated with the modern access control gates and contactless card readers, manufactured by the company's European technology partners. The latest SurePaw system has been successfully operating since 2002 in several bus companies in South Africa.
In order to meet the ever increasing security requirements associated with the use of electronic payment systems and the associated Reserve Bank and commercial bank requirements, a specialised payment security group will be appointed to ensure that this aspect of the solution is fully complied with. This group, RedPay, has a long history with the banking sector in South Africa and has its full support.
"We are hoping to implement a solution that will enhance safe and economical driving and provide a convenient smartcard to the commuters which they will be also able to use in buses and trains," says Tom Muofhe, president of Santaco.
Santaco and SurePaw are planning a major pilot during which the latest system will be tested in approximately 1000 South African taxis.
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