With the cashless form of payment about to kick off officially on the 1st of July across the country, regulations have been pointed out by responsible bodies on how to carry the process out in which competitors and potential investors should adhere to.
Matatu Associations have however embraced the new service with the like of MOA rolling out the 1963 card recently with other pioneers; Beba Card, Lipa na M-Pesa facing competition and now opposition. The National Transport and Safety Authority Regulations guiding the rollout of the cashless fare system demand that commuters be issued with physical receipts after using their prepaid cards.
Once a commuter pays using the Lipa na M-Pesa platform, they get a text message indicating payment as the only evidence this however differs with the regulations which demand physical and not electronic receipts. Having registered more than 1,300 matatus and taxis, the company might be on the losing end due to the lack of receipt issuance giving rival firms whose systems can generate physical receipts opportunity to scramble for clients if not taken care of first.
Safaricom has however assured commuters compliance with the new regulations for short distance travel since customers paying for long distance travel on the platform have access to physical receipts.
