The City of Windhoek has announced that Friday marks the final day for municipal bus passengers to verify and transfer balances from their old smartcards to the new cashless system before cash and outdated cards are phased out next week.
Municipal spokesperson Lydia Amutenya warned that passengers who fail to make the switch will be unable to board municipal buses
“Passengers are kindly requested to visit the Municipal Bus Depot in the Southern Industrial Area, Patterson Street, with their current (old) bus cards.
“This visit is necessary to verify and transfer any remaining balance onto the new smartcards. The transfer service was available from 4 to 15 August,” she said.
The change is part of the city’s new ticketing upgrade, announced last year, aimed at improving passenger convenience, operational efficiency, and overall travel safety.
According to the city, all passengers, including those with damaged cards or no card, will be issued a new smartcard free of charge between 4 August and 4 October.
A first-time top-up of N$50 is mandatory, while loading fees range from a minimum of N$50 to a maximum of N$2 500.
A replacement fee of N$78 will apply if the new card is lost or damaged.
Passengers are encouraged to present a valid form of identification (ID), birth certificate for pupils, or passport for foreign nationals, to register.
Card top-ups are available at municipal offices in the central business district (Townhouse/head office), Katutura customer care centre, Ombili customer care centre, Wanaheda municipality, and Okuryangava’s Nanthnael Maxwilili customer care centre.
According to Amutenya, passengers will enter and exit buses by tapping their new smartcards from next Monday, eliminating cash handling and reducing boarding delays.
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