An incentive to buy the new GO GEORGE Smart Card as soon as possible has certainly contributed to wide adoption. But the public’s cooperation in the weeks leading up to the activation of the automated fare system deserves praise.
GO GEORGE Manager, James Robb, who says that the roll-out process is on schedule and running smoothly.
The official implementation date of the Smart Card is 15 November. However, passengers will tap their cards on bus for the first time on Sunday 18 November. That is because cardholders will travel for free during the first three days after going live if they can show their cards.
“Our five Smart Card kiosks and two mobile Smart Card vehicles have experienced a steady flow of card buyers, going slightly slower towards month-end. Still, passengers clearly put aside their R20 as soon as they received their salaries,” says Robb.
“We truly appreciate the public helping us to prevent long queues just before going live.”
GO GEORGE Smart Card vehicles will come to you
Apart from the fixed weekly schedule taking them to different communities all over town. The two mobile Smart Card vehicles have also been visiting businesses with a large number of bus users to sell cards on their premises.
Employers are invited to contact GO GEORGE to arrange such visits. If they are not situated near a kiosk or mobile location, by phoning 0800 044 044.
On Thursday 1 November, a few added services kick in:
- The network of top-up vendors starts selling and loading trips on cards;
- Smart Card kiosks and vehicles who have been selling cards only up until now, will start doing top-ups of trips too;
- Smart Cards at the normal price of R40, no pre-loaded trips included, will now be available to people who do not have any valid form of identification. (The R20 offer for first cards requires valid identification.)
Top up in time
Passengers are encouraged to top up their Smart Cards before they run out of trips. Not at a time when they are in a rush to get to a destination on time.
The combination of 28 top-up vendors, five kiosks and two mobile vehicles visiting communities should make it possible for everyone to do top-ups outside of peak time. Trips loaded on Smart Cards never expire and are valid until used.
For more information such as the mobile vehicle schedule or your nearest top-up vendor, please call the GO GEORGE Call Centre on 0800 044 044, send an email to [email protected] or follow GO GEORGE on Facebook for the latest news.
