A new six-year contract between the City of Cape Town and HG Travelling Services was recently inked to manage the Dial-a-Ride (DaR) programme for people who are unable to utilise traditional public transportation, Cape {town} Etc reports.
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A completely renovated fleet is just one of the enhancements that will be made gradually available to qualified users in the upcoming months, along with the launch of a DaR mobile app and web platform for virtual payments and reservations. This is a component of our initiatives to keep Capetonians with disabilities active.
Commuters with special needs who are unable to use traditional public transport services and who have been determined to be eligible for the Dial-a-Ride (DaR) service after being evaluated by a qualified healthcare professional are transported by the City of Cape Town.
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‘We have signed a new six-year contract with HG Travelling Services to operate this service at a cost of around R28,1 million per year; R18,1 million of which is subsidised by the City and R10 million by the Western Cape Provincial Government,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility, Rob Quintas.
‘Importantly, the new contract allows for the expansion of the service, through subcontracting, to accommodate more eligible users as more budget becomes available in future years.
‘The City is replacing the current cash and card payment system with a virtual travel wallet for advance payments. I’m excited to announce we are also busy developing a dedicated DaR online platform and mobile app to make the service more convenient. Key functionalities will become available in phases, as from 1 November 2024. I trust these improvements will make it easier to register and apply for the services, book trips, track vehicles, and so forth.’
The six-year contract provides for the extension of the DaR service, depending on budget availability. HG Travelling Services will be able to subcontract service providers with smaller cars for people who do not use wheelchairs, such as NGOs, NPOs, and e-hailing operators.
To increase safety and security and prevent no-shows, DaR will no longer take credit card or cash payments. This change is implemented on November 1, 2024, when users will pay upfront for journeys by either making an EFT payment in advance, or using the DaR web platform or DaR mobile application to load money onto a virtual card for payments.
Once fully operational, the public will be able to register and apply to utilise the DaR service via the internet platform or mobile app.
In the following months, as more functions become available, DaR users will be able to plan trips, manage their bookings, see in-trip progress, and track vehicles through the online platform and mobile app.
The mobile app for drivers will help with route planning, trip scheduling, and navigation features to boost efficiencies, cut expenses, and assure shorter commute times.
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The mobile apps and web-based platforms are created according to the worldwide Web Content Accessibility Guidelines for ease of interpretation and processing utilising the built-in hardware and software of smartphones and devices.
Users can still contact the HG Travelling Services telephone service to schedule trips.
The web platform and app will be launched in phases.
‘It may take a while for some users to get used to the changes, in particular as it relates to upfront payments for bookings as from 1 November 2024. This is very important to improve safety for both the users and drivers, and eliminate no-shows as we want to accommodate as many people as possible. I’m excited about the service offerings that the new app and online platform will bring to our DaR users and trust this will be of great benefit,’ added Quintas.
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