EANS-News: Modern e-Ticketing with Muvo card launched in South Africa

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Government Contracts

Subtitle: - Hoeft & Wessel and partners develop Integrated Rapid
Public Transport Network - Muvo card lays the foundations for an
e-Ticketing standard in South Africa

Hannover (Germany)/ Durban (South Africa), 07/09/2012. (euro adhoc) -
The successful rollout of the Muvo SmartCard marked the beginning of
the modern era of e-Ticketing in the Durban region in South Africa.
As part of the new infrastructure, the Almex Electronic Fare
Collection system with ticket printer from the manufacturer Hoeft &
Wessel was installed by Almex Transport Solutions (Pty) Ltd in all
the regular buses of the Durban Transport and People Mover services
operating under the eThekwini Transport Authority (ETA). In the
lead-up, the Germany-based ticketing specialist had developed an
innovative e-Ticketing solution based on EMV contactless credit cards
from MasterCard together with the National Department of Transport
(NDoT) and Standard Bank. The Muvo Smartcard replaces ordinary
tickets and makes cashless ticketing possible. Cash as well as multi
journey trips can be stored on the smartcard. The card and the
associated back-office system thus become the foundations for the new
Integrated Rapid Public Transport Network (IRPTN). In addition, the
system can also be deployed in other regions in South Africa and
across the globe.

"This is a great day for public transport in eThekwini. Today we
welcome the future," said the delighted head of the ETA, Thami
Manyathi, at the official launch of the Muvo card.

"In South Africa, the Muvo card is the first functional e-Ticketing
solution based on the NDoT specification which, thanks to its system
requirements, is suitable for broad deployment throughout South
Africa. Apart from regular bus services, this can also extends to
include the numerous taxis in the cities," explains Stephen V.
Lelyveld from Hoeft & Wessel partner organisation Almex Transport
Solutions, which is responsible for customer relationship management
in Southern Africa.

The introduction of the new intermodal e-Ticketing system in bus
transport companies in the Durban metropolitan region with a
population close to four million is seen as the first step in the
introduction of the this new standard throughout South Africa. For
many South Africans, the distribution of the first 50,000 free Muvo
card also represents the first encounter with a cashless payment
system that does not require the passenger to have a bank account.
One of the objectives pursued with the introduction of cashless
ticketing is to boost safety. The country at the southern tip of
Africa is thus introducing one of the most modern payment systems for
passenger transportation worldwide.

Hoeft & Wessel has developed an Electronic Fare Collection System for
the innovative e-Ticketing system in South Africa. About 700
almex.optima electronic ticketing machines ETM's were delivered to
the bus transport companies of the eThekwini Transport Authority in
the Durban metropolitan region. Additional orders for bus ticketing
systems were received this year via the South African partner company
Almex Transport Solutions.

"The close and successful cooperation with our partners contributed a
great deal to the on-time completion of this pioneering e-Ticketing
system in South Africa. We therefore see good prospects for this new
e-Ticketing system to become the de facto standard throughout South
Africa," said Michael Hoeft, CEO and founder of Hoeft & Wessel AG.

The IRPTN has adopted the SmartCard for its EMV contactless payment
functionality. The card is issued by Mastercard. It features PayPass,
a contactless payment function. This means that the system also
supports payments by means of contactless cards when travelling by
bus right from the start. The Muvo card functions as a kind of
electronic wallet, allowing cash or ticket products to be loaded onto
it at electronic Kiosk terminals. Tickets can then be bought and paid
for via the standard chip and dip method at a Kiosk and used on board
the bus by simply by holding the card in front of the contactless
reading unit.

Media section with photos:
http://www.presseportal.de/pm/12945/hoeft_wessel_ag/

The Company The Hoeft & Wessel Group is the leading IT and
engineering technology Group for ticketing, parking and mobile
solutions in Germany and Great Britain. Established in 1978 by the
two entrepreneurs who gave the company its name, the enterprise has
developed into a group of companies with sales revenues of approx.
EUR 80 million and a workforce of more than 400 employees. Its main
locations are Hannover, Germany, and Swindon, UK, to the west of
London.

Further inquiry note:
Arnd Fritzemeier
Tel.: +49-511-6102-300
E-Mail: PR@hoeft-wessel.com

end of announcement euro adhoc
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company: Höft & Wessel AG
Rotenburger Str. 20
D-30659 Hannover
phone: +49-511-6102-0
FAX: +49-511-6102-411
mail: ir@hoeft-wessel.com
WWW: http://www.hoeft-wessel.com
sector: Technology
ISIN: DE0006011000
indexes: Prime All Share, Technology All Share
stockmarkets: free trade: Hannover, Berlin, München, Hamburg, Düsseldorf,
Stuttgart, regulated dealing/prime standard: Frankfurt
language: English