EANS-News: Modern e-Ticketing with Muvo card launched in South Africa
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Government Contracts
Subtitle: - Hoeft & Wessel and partners develop Integrated Rapid Public
Transport Network
- Muvo card lays the foundations for an e-Ticketing standard in South Africa
Hannover (Germany)/ Durban (South Africa), 07/09/2012. (euro adhoc) - The
successful rollout of the Muvo SmartCard marked the beginning of the modern era
of e-Ticketing in the Durban region in South Africa. As part of the new
infrastructure, the Almex Electronic Fare Collection system with ticket printer
from the manufacturer Hoeft & Wessel was installed by Almex Transport Solutions
(Pty) Ltd in all the regular buses of the Durban Transport and People Mover
services operating under the eThekwini Transport Authority (ETA). In the
lead-up, the Germany-based ticketing specialist had developed an innovative
e-Ticketing solution based on EMV contactless credit cards from MasterCard
together with the National Department of Transport (NDoT) and Standard Bank. The
Muvo Smartcard replaces ordinary tickets and makes cashless ticketing possible.
Cash as well as multi journey trips can be stored on the smartcard. The card and
the associated back-office system thus become the foundations for the new
Integrated Rapid Public Transport Network (IRPTN). In addition, the system can
also be deployed in other regions in South Africa and across the globe.
"This is a great day for public transport in eThekwini. Today we welcome the
future," said the delighted head of the ETA, Thami Manyathi, at the official
launch of the Muvo card.
"In South Africa, the Muvo card is the first functional e-Ticketing solution
based on the NDoT specification which, thanks to its system requirements, is
suitable for broad deployment throughout South Africa. Apart from regular bus
services, this can also extends to include the numerous taxis in the cities,"
explains Stephen V. Lelyveld from Hoeft & Wessel partner organisation Almex
Transport Solutions, which is responsible for customer relationship management
in Southern Africa.
The introduction of the new intermodal e-Ticketing system in bus transport
companies in the Durban metropolitan region with a population close to four
million is seen as the first step in the introduction of the this new standard
throughout South Africa. For many South Africans, the distribution of the first
50,000 free Muvo card also represents the first encounter with a cashless
payment system that does not require the passenger to have a bank account. One
of the objectives pursued with the introduction of cashless ticketing is to
boost safety. The country at the southern tip of Africa is thus introducing one
of the most modern payment systems for passenger transportation worldwide.
Hoeft & Wessel has developed an Electronic Fare Collection System for the
innovative e-Ticketing system in South Africa. About 700 almex.optima
electronic ticketing machines ETM's were delivered to the bus transport
companies of the eThekwini Transport Authority in the Durban metropolitan
region. Additional orders for bus ticketing systems were received this year via
the South African partner company Almex Transport Solutions.
"The close and successful cooperation with our partners contributed a great
deal to the on-time completion of this pioneering e-Ticketing system in South
Africa. We therefore see good prospects for this new e-Ticketing system to
become the de facto standard throughout South Africa," said Michael Hoeft, CEO
and founder of Hoeft & Wessel AG.
The IRPTN has adopted the SmartCard for its EMV contactless payment
functionality. The card is issued by Mastercard. It features PayPass, a
contactless payment function. This means that the system also supports payments
by means of contactless cards when travelling by bus right from the start. The
Muvo card functions as a kind of electronic wallet, allowing cash or ticket
products to be loaded onto it at electronic Kiosk terminals. Tickets can then
be bought and paid for via the standard chip and dip method at a Kiosk and used
on board the bus by simply by holding the card in front of the contactless
reading unit.
Media section with photos: http://www.presseportal.de/pm/12945/hoeft_wessel_ag/
The Company
The Hoeft & Wessel Group is the leading IT and engineering technology Group for
ticketing, parking and mobile solutions in Germany and Great Britain.
Established in 1978 by the two entrepreneurs who gave the company its name,
the enterprise has developed into a group of companies with sales revenues of
approx. EUR 80 million and a workforce of more than 400 employees. Its main
locations are Hannover, Germany, and Swindon, UK, to the west of London.
Further inquiry note:
Arnd Fritzemeier
Tel.: +49-511-6102-300
E-Mail: PR@hoeft-wessel.com
end of announcement euro adhoc
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company: Höft & Wessel AG
Rotenburger Str. 20
D-30659 Hannover
phone: +49-511-6102-0
FAX: +49-511-6102-411
mail: ir@hoeft-wessel.com
WWW: http://www.hoeft-wessel.com
sector: Technology
ISIN: DE0006011000
indexes: Prime All Share, Technology All Share
stockmarkets: free trade: Hannover, Berlin, München, Hamburg, Düsseldorf,
Stuttgart, regulated dealing/prime standard: Frankfurt
language: English