Clear2Pay selected for public transport trials
By Louise Naughton
27 January 2011
Payment solutions provider Clear2Pay has
signed a deal to develop testing equipment for public
transport-specific EMV contactless cards and payment terminals in
South Africa.
As the reliance on public transport in South
Africa grows, the government is seeking to modernise its
infrastructure. In doing so, it proposes to transform the
transaction process by integrating an Automatic Fare Collection
system.
Under the agreement with transportation
technology provider Techso – a company appointed by the
South-African National Department of Transport (NDOT), in
association with Keith Smith Consulting, Clear2Pay will deploy a
certification laboratory in Cape Town.
This service, which will involve a tie-up with
Clear2Pay’s local partner Iplex, will aim to enable banks and
third-party vendors to locally qualify their cards and devices and
comply to a mandatory certification process before the roll-out of
their products can commence.
“Today, contactless ticketing solutions
already ease the daily travel routine of millions of people around
the world and Clear2Pay is eager to be instrumental in the further
mass market adoption,” said Jean de Crane, COO at Clear2Pay.
“As a company we are familiar with the highly
innovative nature of the South African marketplace through the work
we do with Standard Bank of South Africa and others. We are
therefore delighted to be involved in the first EMV contactless
public transport payment solution in Africa which will offer
travellers the convenience of payments on-the-go.”
The new facility will use Clear2Pay’s Integri
test tools and is claimed to support the strategic objectives of
facilitating Automated Fare Collection (AFC) via bank issued
contactless cards.
The testing process is designed to ensure
interoperability across all public transport services.