The Kenya National Transport Safety Authority (NTSA) has changed tack in the implementation of the cashless payment system for public service vehicles.
On Tuesday, NTSA initiated a new approach, targeting specific bus terminuses where they introduced the system to commuters instead of waiting until a PSV operator complies during the annual inspection.
“We realised some operators could take long time to implement the system if left to do it voluntarily or at the time of inspection and licence renewal. Most of the targeted vehicles are now rushing to comply and passengers are also purchasing cards,” said Francis Meja, director general of NTSA.
However, the introduction at the three busiest boarding points — Kencom, GPO and Ambassador — in Nairobi left commuters stranded as operators rushed to install the new gadgets.
Harmonisation
The enforcement comes amid questions over harmonisation of cash payment systems so that commuters and operators are spared the cost of having many cards and reading machines, respectively.
Stephen Mutoro, Consumer Federation of Kenya (Cofek) Chairman, said the government should come up with a law to make the enforcement legal.
Experts in banking and financial inclusion services however said banks providing the service were still working to ensure all cards could be used at any till.
Equity, KCB, Family and Co-operative Banks launched their cashless transport cards last year.
“The plan requires efficient infrastructure, allowing systems to communicate to each other like in the case of ATM visa cards. We are working on this infrastructure,” said Habil Olaka, Kenya Bankers.
On Tuesday, NTSA initiated a new approach, targeting specific bus terminuses where they introduced the system to commuters instead of waiting until a PSV operator complies during the annual inspection.
“We realised some operators could take long time to implement the system if left to do it voluntarily or at the time of inspection and licence renewal. Most of the targeted vehicles are now rushing to comply and passengers are also purchasing cards,” said Francis Meja, director general of NTSA.
However, the introduction at the three busiest boarding points — Kencom, GPO and Ambassador — in Nairobi left commuters stranded as operators rushed to install the new gadgets.
Harmonisation
The enforcement comes amid questions over harmonisation of cash payment systems so that commuters and operators are spared the cost of having many cards and reading machines, respectively.
Stephen Mutoro, Consumer Federation of Kenya (Cofek) Chairman, said the government should come up with a law to make the enforcement legal.
Experts in banking and financial inclusion services however said banks providing the service were still working to ensure all cards could be used at any till.
Equity, KCB, Family and Co-operative Banks launched their cashless transport cards last year.
“The plan requires efficient infrastructure, allowing systems to communicate to each other like in the case of ATM visa cards. We are working on this infrastructure,” said Habil Olaka, Kenya Bankers.
The East African
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