Tap and go
The Bakwena Platinum Corridor Concessionaire has rolled out tap-and-go technology at selected plazas along the N1/N4 toll route in an effort to increase safety, with the country currently experiencing the third wave of the Covid-19 infections.
This technology was extensively tested and refined through a pilot project which ran during the initial stages of lockdown in 2020, it notes.
Based on the pilot project’s success, this technology has been installed at busy commuter mainline and ramp plazas, including the Stormvoël, Zambesi, Pumulani, Wallmansthal, Carousel and Doornpoort plazas, on the N1/N4 route.
Bakwena highlights that motorists can enjoy several benefits while using this system, such as Covid-19 safety, avoiding cash payment queues and reduced travel times. It will also enable users to accurately budget their monthly commuter costs through credit card statements.
The technology allows users to either swipe or tap their South African credit card and get through the plaza as quickly and efficiently as possible, completely eliminating any interaction with plaza staff, Bakwena acclaims.
Bakwena COO Solomon Kganyago says the concessionaire embarked on this journey after achieving its payment card industry-specific Level One Merchant certification, which paved the way for Bakwena to manage information technology security cyberthreats for its customers, within the tolling industry.
Kganyago says Bakwena requires fast and efficient systems that can process card payments for between 250 and 300 vehicles an hour.
It does not offer Pin Entry Devices for card payments, as this is posited to likely result in a build-up of queues at the plazas.