Putco introduces smart payment system to reduce long lines and floating cash In a bid to remove cash transactions and speed up the process of loading bus passengers, Putco has installed a multi-million-rand automatic smart-card fare collection system from Questek Transit Technologies.

The deal, said to be worth more than R8 million, includes a live vehicle tracking system that will ensure Putco busses follow their demarcated routes and that bus drivers adhere to speed limits.

Commuters can now buy smart cards at Putco terminals and preload daily or monthly bus fare units. The contact-less smart card also allows for commuters to quickly embark on the bus by simply placing the card on the reader and eliminating driver-passenger interaction.

Putco MD Franco Pisapia believes the system will improve the commuters` quality of transiting because drivers can now be held accountable for their attitude on the road. "This is not a punitive system but it allows management to see where drivers need additional training," he says.

He says that in the not-too-distant future commuters will see an end-to-end system, which allows for them to pay for all their public transport using the same smart card. In the meantime, Questek Transit Technologies` GM, Ronald Salis says that the company already has the technology to install the system in taxis, but is still under tough negotiations with stakeholders.