The South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO), is pleased to announce that it will proceed with the deployment of a national Electronic Management System (EMS) for the entire fleet of taxis under its control. This system will be a state of the art system having 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 extensively deployed in several countries in taxis, bus fleets and rail transport and meets the exacting requirement of a proven technology offering a rich functionality to its users. The functionality as offered by the core technology provided by SurePaw Technologies can be extended to other forms of commuter transport in South Africa.

SurePaw Technologies (Pty) Ltd. is a South African high technology company. Since 1983 it has supplied 4 generations of integrated solutions for the management of public transportation operations and revenue collection, including equipment and inter-modal systems for rail, bus and taxi applications. 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 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.

Additional technology and service vendors will be appointed to provide further elements of the solution as required. All of these will be subjected to the same rigorous evaluation as to the extent that they have provided proven technology or services locally and can guarantee long term ongoing support.

The long awaited electronic fare collection systems will go a long way to making the taxi industry economically viable and sustainable, making the management of taxis far more efficient. Commuters, Drivers and Owners will all benefit as soon as the roll-out begins. The SANTACO system will enhance the control of 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.

"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" said Tom Muofhe, president of Santaco. "We also wanted an experienced local supplier, who can offer us the most advanced technology. SurePaw have been supplying management systems to the operators of buses, taxis and rail for many years, and they are experienced in the use of electronic fare collection and GPS route management. It therefore makes a lot of sense to use them for the core technology as it will speed up the EMS solution which we need desperately. This project has already been delayed by 3 years" he said in Pretoria yesterday.

"Perhaps most important of all, commuters will benefit by being automatically covered for personal medical expenses and funeral cover in the event of being injured or killed in an EMS fitted taxi, in a scheme underwritten by African Life and Netcare" he added. "In the past, commuters were offered no benefits at all and had to rely on the RAF fund, which has severe limitations as we all know."

SANTACO and SurePaw are planning a major pilot during which the latest system will be tested in approximately 1,000 South African taxis. The purpose of the pilot is to confirm its compliance with the requirements of all stakeholders, including the commuters, SANTACO, the government, the Reserve Bank, the commercial banks and the community at large.

Enquiries

Mr Reggie Mutsi
012 324 9522