It’s official. Matatus plying the Eastlands route would not accept cash as bus fare from today evening. The nine PSV SACCOs with over 400 vehicles have announced to go totally cashless and will be switching over to the cash light fare system 1963.
The matatus have 50 route managers who will be boarding the matatus to check if they comply with the new rule. Conductors on the cash light matatus will be wearing 1963 T-shirts today to aide commuters in identifying matatus that will only accept the 1963 cards as payment.
Residents of Kayole, Donholm, Umoja, Outer Ring, Civil Servants, Buruburu will all be affected by this initiative. “The matatu owners taking it upon themselves to switch over to the cards means that the transition will be fast and smooth,” said Mr Mwakio Ngale, General Manager of Fiber Space Limited, which owns and runs the 1963 card system.
The 1963 card, which also gives passengers loyalty points to get free fares and offers fare credit facilities, will mean fixed fares, in future, in place of fare hikes during rain and at heavy traffic periods. The system will also see drivers and touts put onto formal salaries, with health benefits and credit facilities.
“This move to order, and a smooth flow of passenger revenues to the SACCOs, is long overdue, but is now happening as the product of a cash light system that has been built to guarantee fair and decent terms to everyone in the industry and to all its customers,” said Mwakio.
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