CC image courtesy of teachandlearn on Flickr.
The deadline for the cashless fare system has been postponed to December 1 meaning passengers and matatu owners have two more months to prepare for the system that will eliminate exchange of hard cash for fare.
The Daily Nation reports that so far, only three service providers had been approved to operate the system all these coming against a background of various hitches among them matatus owners decrying lack of devices.
“Most providers have no infrastructure to run the system, they are not adequately prepared,” said the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), Director-General Francis Meja.
The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), which is the implementing authority, said only three service providers had been approved to operate the system.
“The Central Bank together with the NTSA have so far approved the following to offer cash light fare service, having met all requirements of Legal Notice No 75 of June, 2014; KCB, Co-op Bank of Kenya, Equity Bank,” read an advert by NTSA.
“A person desirous of providing the cash light fare system service shall obtain a letter of no objection from the Central Bank of Kenya,” the advert continues.
The approval will provide for protection of commuters’ deposits and inter-operability of the plastic cards.
Another bone of contention on the side of the matatu owners was that there was no harmonized cost of gadgets.
