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News Archive May 2011 Smart card system on the way
News Archive May 2011 Smart card system on the way
| Smart card system on the way |
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| Friday, 20 May 2011 |
 By the last quarter of the year, Rea Vaya will do away with paper tickets for single trips and commuters will be able to buy smart cards that will act on a pay-as-you-go basis. B 
Tickets will be replaced by smart cards
The Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) system, used in the form of a smart card, will be introduced by the last quarter of the year. It will allow passengers to load in advance trips for weeks or even months. The system is already used for public transport services around the world. In Joburg, commuters will have to tag or tap their smart card on the smartcard reader to register for a journey. A single trip will then be deducted from their card. At the moment, passengers have to give their paper tickets to a marshal at the end of a trip; with the AFC they will have to tag or tap their card to register that they have exited the bus station. “Unlike the current single-trip based paper ticket system, where the customer has to purchase a new ticket for every trip, with the smart card customers are able to load monetary value on to the smart card to function as a pay-as-you-go product,” explains Eric Mathebula, the AFC project manager for the City. Mathebula points out customers will not have to buy a new smart card for every trip as they will be able to use the same card until there is not enough value on the card for a trip. At this point, they will have to load more cash on to their cards. Since the cards are not made of paper and are reusable, they are a good way to save trees. The system should be launched in December. However, advertising will begin in September. The smartcards will be sold at designated Rea Vaya stations and authorised vendors. Related stories:
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