Rwandan AC Group CEO Patrick Buchana (left) and his team at the bus park in Yaounde, Cameroon where their cashless payment system will be installed in public transport buses. PHOTO | COURTESY
Last week, Rwanda-based AC Group Ltd, a technology company that provides cashless payment transport solutions, started implementing the system in Cameroon after being granted a 10-year exclusive concession. AC Group will replicate their trademark Tap&GO system in two Cameroonian cities — Yaounde and Douala.
In an interview with Rwanda Today, AC Group chief executive Patrick Buchana said Cameroonian transport authorities gained interest in Rwanda’s cashless payment model after learning it was being used by thousands of people in Kigali daily.
“They came here and talked to the bus companies and were told some of the benefits of the system,” said Mr Buchana.
Following the visit by the officials, AC Group was invited to conduct a feasibility study in Cameroon’s cities.
“They had bought new city buses and we asked them to make certain modifications before we could start,” explained Mr Buchana.
The technology company asked for installation of on-board cameras and setting up of proper bus stops among others.
“Basically, we are trying to model what has been done in Kigali and have it work in Cameroon,” said Mr Buchana.
Better returns
The first phase, which started last week, involves 400 big city buses in Yaounde, the capital city. The system will next be rolled out in Douala, the largest city in Cameroon and its commercial capital.
AC Group said 508,000 people in Kigali have the company’s payment cards and it charges a commission on each ticket.
The company anticipates better returns in Cameroon than in Rwanda because of bigger volumes. Approximately 2.5 million people live in Yaounde and the buses have a full load most of the day according to Mr Buchana.
“The buses are always full, all day, because people are always moving and the two cities are bigger than Kigali,” said Mr Buchana, the young tech entrepreneur.
A major difference in the public transport system in Cameroon is that the bus fare is fixed no matter the distance according to AC Group.
Meanwhile in Kigali, AC Group and its bus transport partners will this week start deploying the cashless payment on the Gisozi route, which is one of the remaining three routes in Kigali.
The technology company hopes to have the system in the remaining routes by the end of March.
“The government is pushing to have every route implement the cashless system so that the card becomes the mode of payment across Kigali,” Mr Buchana said.
However, the system faced challenges such as cards not working properly, or some passengers who don’t regularly use the routes with the cashless system facing difficulties in accessing public transport.
“We have tried to resolve these issues and the system is more efficient now,” said Mr Buchana.
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