City of Windhoek rolls out cashless bus payment system

The City of Windhoek has announced the rolling out of a cashless bus ticketing system.

This was confirmed by spokesperson Lydia Amutenya on Thursday.

This means cash payments will no longer be accepted.

The roll-out will come into effect on 11 August.

“This upgrade aims to improve passenger convenience, operational efficiency, and overall travel safety,” Amutenya said.

Passengers will be provided with new smartcards for free from 4 August to 4 October.

This applies to all clients, regardless of whether they currently have a card, damaged card, or no card at all.

However, a replacement fee will apply if the new smartcard is lost or damaged.

The cashless system was announced last September.

It indicated that the municipality would move away from cash to card payments for public transport by bus.

Each bus smartcard will be linked to the passenger’s name and personal information.

This registration, Amutenya said, allows for the secure recovery
and transfer of any remaining balance in case the card is lost, damaged, or malfunctions.

Top-up for first-timers will cost N$50, while replacement will cost N$78.

The loading fee starts from N$50 to a maximum of N$2 500.

Passengers will now enter and exit buses by tapping their cards onto the cashless system, thereby reducing long queues and time consumed while issuing passengers change.

Passengers are requested to visit the municipal bus depot in Windhoek’s Southern Industrial Area, in Patterson Street, with their current (old) bus cards.

This is to verify and transfer any remaining balance onto their new smartcards.

The transfer service will be available from 4 to 15 August.

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