Motorists in Kigali will now be able to pay for parking fees using the MTN Mobile Money service following the signing of a partnership deal between the telecom firm and Kigali Veterans Cooperatives Society (KVCS). KVCS is in charge of collecting parking fees in Kigali.

The partnership seeks to digitise parking fees collection, enabling motorists to make instant payments using their mobile phones, according to Maj (Rtd) Frank Ntabana, the KVCS managing director. He added that the initiative is in line with the country’s vision of being a cashless society.

"We believe that this platform is convenient for motorists and will help ease access to our services...We are confident that this partnership will give our clients better services,” he said after signing deal in Kigali on Thursday.

Currently, motorists pay cash using different options, including instant cash payments for parking, weekly or monthly arrangements, among others.

Speaking at the function, MTN Rwanda chief executive officer Bart Hofker, said the move is another important milestone in terms of "creating new opportunities through strategic alliances that supports Rwanda’s drive toward a cashless economy.”

"We are proud for continuously championing innovation to meet the growing demand for technologies that drive efficiency and boost convenience to MTN’s growing customer base.

"It is for this reason that we have introduced a convenient and cashless way to pay for parking fees using the MTN Mobile Money service,” Hofker told Saturday Times.

Hofker added that the partnership is a game-changing endeavour which will "make the process faster, convenient and stress-free by giving consumers a seamless mobile payment experience.”

Maurice Nsengimana, a Kigali motorist, welcomed the initiative, saying it is convenient compared to the previous method.

How it works

You need to be a mobile money subscriber to access the service. To use the service, dial *799#, then select language, enter the car registration number (you will receive a balance due message in parking tickets and fines), type the amount you wish to pay. A customer receives a message to approve the payment via mobile money and one can pay full or partial fees for a week or month, enter your PIN to confirm the payment. You will receive payment confirmation from MTN Mobile Money.

Digitisation of parking fees payment was first initiated in 2016 with KVCS inking a deal with Tigo Cash Rwanda to pilot the system.

The MTN Mobile Money service has registered significant growth with over Rwf89 billion being pushed through the platform monthly from about 12 million transactions.

MTN has the biggest number of mobile money service subscribers in Rwanda with 1.3 million active users. Mobile money transactions were at 291,901,031 in the second quarter, according to Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority report.

The telecom firm recently launched a partnership deal with Cogebanque that will enable MTN Mobile Money subscribers to deposit and withdraw money electronically using their mobile devices thanks to the telecom firm’s "Push&Pull” service.