KBS introduces new payment system

Passengers using Kigali Bus Services (KBS) will no longer be charged a flat fee of Rwf250 but for only the distance they travel through the city, thanks to a modern card system that the company’s management is implementing. Known as “Twende System”, the card will charge Rwf20 for every kilometre as agreed by both KBS and Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Company. “Some who travel short distances have been complaining that they are charged as much as those who travel long ones. This electronic system will solve this by ensuring that a traveller only pays for the distance he travels,” Charles Ngarambe, the CEO of KBS told the Sunday Times. “We want to slowly shift our bus system from paper ticketing to electronic payment systems, which is more efficient and satisfying to our customers and us as the service providers,” he said. He added that the system cost about US$100,000 and will be in use by Monday, December 11 but only in the new 80-passenger busses. “We currently have 20 big busses which will use the new system. We are planning to bring in another 20 by February next year as part of our plan to phase out the smaller ones,” Ngarambe said. The system was implemented by Taptopay, a Chinese company and its technicians are in the country to give it the final touches. “A passenger will be required to tap his prepaid card on the machine at the entrance of the bus. When he reaches his destination, he will tap his card on the machine at the exit and the money will be deducted. We shall carry out checks every six months to ensure that the systems are not faulty,” Gilbert Pareno, the System Deployment Engineer at Taptopay, said. KBS officials said that the machines are programmed to deduct a maximum of Rwf300 from a passenger regardless the mileage they have covered. Ivan.mugisha@newtimes.co.rw