Upcountry commuters are in for a cashless travel experience as Rwandan Transport Tech Company AC Group is launching operations out of the city of Kigali.
For about 4 years now, AC Group has been known for providing the "Tap&Go” smart transport solutions that have helped ease commuter life in Kigali through digital payments on public transport buses.
This week’s inauguration of cashless trips upcountry is the first of its kind as AC Group looks to stretch its foothold beyond Kigali.
According to AC Group, for the start the smart services will be offered along the Kigali-Musanze-Rubavu route.
Speaking in an interview with The New Times, Allen Kendunga, head of Communications at AC Group said that the upcountry service is "smarter.”
"The upcountry system is slightly different, we have added more features where you can do the whole booking process on the website or the Tap&Go Application from the comfort of your home. The boarding process will include scanning the QR generated after purchasing the ticket instead of tapping the card,” she said.
By use of a "Tap&Go” app, commuters will be able to book their trips and receive tickets which will be generated online.
The tickets will carry a QR code which will be scanned on the bus validator (BV) during the boarding process.
For the upcountry commuters, this process substitutes the card system which is being used in Kigali, and according to Kendunga, such new developments are aimed at enhancing a customers’ experience and offering convenience.
"One doesn’t have to travel to agent points to book their tickets ahead of time. It also guarantees the passenger that they have a seat on the bus at a specific time, which allows easy planning” she said.
The Tap&Go Smartphone App will also be beneficial to card-using commuters as it will facilitate them with the possibility of loading money on the cards as well as checking the remaining balance.
Commenting on AC Group’s available plans to extend smart transport services to the rest of the country, Kendunga said that there is no specific date set for it, but the company has been working to perfect its services in Kigali in an effort to learn how to serve the whole country.
"We wanted to first learn and perfect the system in Kigali before we could serve the rest of the country. These past years have been great for the team to learn and to test the concept in a city like Kigali,” she said.
Starting Wednesday this week, the Tap&Go App will be available for download from both the App Store for iOS and Google Play for Android.