Passengers on board as Smart Card goes live | George Municipality
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Passengers on board as Smart Card goes live
The GO GEORGE Smart Card went live on 15 November 2018, with passengers tapping their cards to board only three days later, after a complimentary period of free travel for cardholders. An estimated 90 per cent of daily trips undertaken since Sunday 18 November, were done by Smart Card users.
"We were prepared to troubleshoot several scenarios, since you never know what curve balls come your way when implementing an entirely new system," says James Robb, GO GEORGE Manager. "Our main aim was to minimise disruption and inconvenience to passengers, and I can say with great relief that the initial glitches were easy to identify and are being addressed, and actually provided a learning curve early on. This is not to say that everything will be plain sailing from now on, but we are confident that the preparation and planning that went into the development of this new automated system is paying off."
Robb says it was most encouraging to see how fast everybody catches on. "Drivers and passengers alike; they were a bit hesitant at first, but after a first shift or trip, you could literally see the confidence grow. It's a matter of 'just do it'!"
Passengers who experience any kind of trouble with their Smart Cards are requested to go to their nearest Smart Card kiosk where the staff will test their cards. If a card is found to be defective, it will be replaced at no cost and the balance of trips on the defective card will be transferred to the new one. If a card has been damaged, the cardholder can buy a new card at the normal cost of R40 and also have the trip balance transferred after verification.
People should take note, however, that most of the initial problems of "cards not registering on the reader" or "showing no trip balance" are human error and not system errors, while everybody is still getting used to new procedures.
"Going to the nearest Smart Card kiosk is still the right action to take, but passengers should not be alarmed at the first sign of something not functioning right the first time. A little adjustment here and there, either in the handling of the card or the sensitivity of the equipment, might be all that's needed," Robb says.
For any enquiries about the location of Smart Card mobile vehicles and kiosks or top-up vendors, phone the GO GEORGE Call Centre on 0800 044 044.
Sakirah Klaassen (5) from Blanco got the message about keeping your Smart Card safe, loud and clear! She offered her very own Smart Card to the driver on Monday morning, safely from a lunch box carried solely for this purpose.
Passasiers aan boord met Slimkaart se wegspring
Die GO GEORGE Slimkaart het op 15 November 2018 in werking getree met passasiers wat eers drie dae later hul kaarte begin gebruik het, ná ’n komplimentêre periode van gratis bus ry vir kaarthouers. ’n Geskatte 90 persent van daaglikse ritte wat sedert Sondag 18 November onderneem is, is gedoen deur Slimkaarthouers.
"Ons was voorbereid om verskeie moontlike probleme op te los aangesien mens nooit weet watter draaibal mag opduik met die implementering van ’n algehele nuwe stelsel nie," sê James Robb, GO GEORGE-bestuurder. "Ons mikpunt was om ontwrigting en ongerief vir passasiers tot die minimum te beperk, en ek kan met groot verligting sê dat die aanvanklike paar haakplekke maklik was om te identifiseer en dat ons besig is om dit aan te spreek; ons leer eintlik vroeg in die proses baie daaruit. Dit beteken nie dat alles van nou af seepglad gaan verloop nie, maar ons is vol vertroue dat die voorbereiding en beplanning wat in die ontwikkeling van hierdie geoutomatiseerde stelsel ingegaan het, vrugte afwerp."
Robb sê dit was uiters bemoedigend om te sien hoe vinnig almal snap. "Bestuurders sowel as passasiers; almal was eers ’n bietjie huiwerig, maar ná ’n eerste skof of rit kon jy letterlik die selfvertroue sien toeneem. Dis ’n geval van 'doen dit net'!"
Passasiers wat enige probleme met hul Slimkaarte ondervind word versoek om na hul naaste Slimkaartkiosk toe te gaan waar die personeel die kaart sal toets. Indien ’n kaart foutief bevind word, sal dit kosteloos vervang word en die balans van ritte daarop oorgeplaas word. Indien ’n kaart beskadig is, kan die kaarthouer ’n nuwe een koop teen die normale prys van R40 en ook die ritbalans laat oordra ná verifikasie.
Mense moet egter kennis neem dat die meeste van die probleme soos kaarte "wat nie registreer op die kaartleser nie" of "geen ritbalans toon nie" waarskynlik menslike hanteerfoute is en nie stelselfoute nie, terwyl almal nog gewoond raak aan nuwe prosedures.
"Dis steeds die regte ding om na die naaste Slimkaartkiosk toe te gaan, maar passasiers moenie skrik wanneer iets nie die eerste keer reg werk nie. ’n Klein aanpassing hier en daar aan die hantering van die kaart of die sensitiwiteit van die toerusting mag dalk al wees wat nodig is," sê Robb.
Vir enige navrae oor die ligging van mobiele Slimkaartvoertuie en -kiosks of herlaaipunte, skakel gerus die GO GEORGE-inbelsentrum by 0800 044 044.
Sakirah Klaassen (5) van Blanco het die boodskap hard en duidelik gehoor dat ’n mens jou Slimkaart veilig moet bêre! Sy het haar eie Slimkaart mét oorklimkwitansie en al Maandagoggend in sy eie kosblikkie aan die bestuurder aangebied.