Tap into a ’Plain taxi

Mitchell’s Plain commuters travelling to and from Seventh Avenue taxi rank, in Town Centre, can now tap into a cashless system to pay for their journey.

The Transmuternet system is activated by commuters collecting a card from the ticket office at the rank or via WhatsApp. They have to submit information, including name, surname, cellphone number, identity number, address and profile photograph, which is printed on a card. They can then load money onto the card, which taps them in and out of the taxi.

The pilot including 100 commuters had been tested over the last five-months and was launched at the rank on Friday March 1.

The Seventh Avenue Taxi Association includes 26 owners and 78 vehicles, 55 of which are operating with a scanner at the door of the taxi, a monitor in the middle and free wi-fi.

The association’s vice-chairman Donald Dass said the programme was designed to keep the driver safe because they no longer kept large sums of money in the vehicle.

“They were being targeted by the gangs and now they don’t have money. It is transferred to their bank accounts,” he said.

Secondly, he said as each of the vehicles is registered on a database they could root out “pirate taxis” who drove illegally in their areas.

“And thirdly we have better control and its is a means for us to go corporate and organise ourselves in helping drivers to earn salaries and not meet targets,” he said.

Mr Dass assured a “gaartjie” that he still had a function and that eventually they would be encouraged to become drivers and perhaps work at the ticket office or on the system.

“Anyone who drives recklessly, swears or goes off route can be brought to book at the taxi disciplinary court, where they are given fines, warnings or we ask the taxi owner to remove them from service,” he said.

Transmuternet systems’ director Tarique Darries explained that the driver taps into the system and they are able to track him and passengers can comment, complain or compliment his driving via the WhatsApp line.

“We have an open communication chat line for commuters to share their experiences,” he said.

Mr Darries said at the moment the taxi owners were paying R1 for every card issued, which would be further reduced once they had sponsors and partners on board.

The taxis are registered at the rank office and are branded to show commuters that they can tap in.

On Friday the Plainsman joined commuter Nicole Isaacs on a taxi ride from the rank to her Tafelsig stop close to home.

She was one of the 100 pilot participants.

“There were a few glitches at first. The drivers did not want to tap in. They did not want to switch on the system so they would say it is not working. Also, more money was deducted from ‘my account’ that was necessary for a journey but I was reimbursed and received another ride or two free,” she said.

Ms Isaacs backed the cashless service by saying she did not need to walk around with cash or ensure correct change.

“I love it, I load money on cards for me and my children and they can also just tap in and out,” she said.

She would like this system to be rolled out to taxis travelling outside of Mitchell’s Plain because she works in Heideveld.

Last September digitally-enabled Loop taxis were launched on the Mitchell’s Plain to Bellville route.

By June they hope to increase their user base with commuters travelling between Manenberg and Cape Town.

With this service, commuters using Loop taxis can pay their taxi fare by simply tapping their enabled bank cards or phones in a Loop taxi.

Mitchell’s Plain Taxi Association had been the first to have the majority of the taxis on their route digitised.

The transactions between commuters and taxi-operators are handled by Loop and enabled by multi-national financial service provider, Visa.

Loop founder and chief executive officer Imtiyaaz Riley said the minibus taxi industry was the backbone of public transport in South Africa and for generations owners and associations could not track the income of their taxis accurately.

“With our solutions, owners and associations can now transact digitally and seamlessly with Loop’s tech-based solutions,” he said.

Mr Riley told the Plainsman that their primary focus was to provide value and to ensure their service genuinely benefits the minibus taxi community, from drivers to operators.

“To this end, we have instituted a zero commission fee policy. We don’t charge for the service,” he said.