Vodafone Fiji will install self-service e-transport kiosks as early as January next year.

This is welcome news for bus commuters who sometimes spend at least 15 minutes or more waiting in line to be served by top-up agents.

The kiosk will offer 24 hours e-transport card top-up using both cash and M-PAISA. It can also be used to tap and check card balance.

Vodafone Fiji Head of E-Commerce and Corporate Affairs Shailendra Prasad told participants attending the 15th Fiji National Transport Consultative Forum that they are conducting vigorous tests with the Fijian currency.

He said at the Novotel Suva Lami Bay Convention Centre: “Every currency that goes through the kiosk needs to be tested. We had to fly in at least $8000 worth of currency for it to be tested. New currency, old currency, soiled currencies – because people will put any kind of money into the kiosk.”

He said the move was to make the e-transport initiative more convenient for customers. 10 kiosks will be brought in initially and positioned in busy bus stands. At the moment, there are 1200 top up agents around Fiji. Customers can also top up their e-transport card by using M-PAISA.

Big Data

Armed with one year of data, Mr Prasad said this was useful evidence based data for policy makers.

“By digitising the entire bus industry, the electronic transaction for passengers, we now have data that can be used meaningfully.”

Some possibilities include the following:

• Through the Ministry of Education, real time data can be captured with the installation of machines in schools. Students tap the same e-transport card as they enter the school/classroom. The same can be applied to teachers.
• While a receipt is printed when one boards the bus and when topping up, Mr Prasad said this can be avoided as the card itself stores the balance.

Data over the past two to three months revealed the pattern of when commuters travel On work days, the peak is at 7am with commuters starting their travel at 5.30am.

In the afternoon, the peak time is 3.30pm. There are stable but low transactions from 9am to 1pm.

From the data, what bus providers may look at is the possibility of reducing bus sizes in some routes.

Likewise for companies and businesses who may consider flexi hours for their employees. This would naturally ease the load and congestion on our roads.

Edited by Caroline Ratucadra

Feedback: rosi.doviverata@fijisun.com.fj