Golden Arrow Bus Services is moving with the times and will be phasing out the use of clip cards and on-board payments.
Instead, commuters should prepare themselves to buy the bus company’s new smart card, called the Gold Card.
This electronic device will work much like the MyCiTi smart card, where commuters load money onto the card beforehand and then simply swipe it when they get into the bus.
This means no longer holding up the queue as you pay your fare to the bus driver.
Golden Arrow spokesperson, Bronwen Dyke-Beyer, says the roll-out with the smart card system will start soon.
“The good news is that Golden Arrow will be rolling out smart cards over the next few months in a phased approach. This means that you may see fellow travellers with Golden Arrow Gold Cards instead of clip cards, while you are still making use of clip cards,” Dyke-Beyer says.
She says people mustn’t stress if they don’t have a smart card as updates will be made available when the Gold Card roll-out will occur in respective areas.
“The system is very similar to the current clip card system but uses smart card technology instead of clip cards. In future, commuters will be loading their travel packages directly onto the card and tapping on when boarding the bus.
“Unlike clip cards, the Golden Arrow Bus Service Gold Card does not need to be replaced when you purchase a new product. It’s simple and straightforward with loads of benefits. The transition is as simple as possible,” Dyke-Beyer added.
robin.francke@inl.co.za