Monrovia – The National Transit Authority (NTA) and a French company NUMHERIT has signed a memorandum of understanding to provide Bus Operating Training (BOT) employees of the NTA.
The partnership will help make the NTA efficient and effective in its revenue-generating capacity. The partnership will also allow the NTA get access to the modernization of public transport in Liberia.
Francois Correa, Vice President of NUMHERIT who is in charge of international development, said that the partnership will introduce a paperless system that will allow customers or passengers wanting to use NTA buses to purchase their ticket online via mobile phone.
“We are talking about a paperless universe; we will allow people to have access to internet on the buses,” Correa said, adding that the partnership seeks to digitalize the NTA.
He disclosed that all of the buses will have trackers and will be monitored at the head office of the NTA.
“With the system that will be put in place, someone using their cell phone will know where is the bus, when the bus will pick up and when will the next bus arrive,” he said.
He also disclosed that NUMHERIT has established a secretariat in Liberia.
Herbie Teconbla McCauley, Managing Director of the NTA, welcomed the partnership and described it as another way of fighting corruption.
He said, according to the agreement, NUMHERIT will train local staffs at the NTA about the management of the system before leaving.
McCauley disclosed that the NTA will not only venture in the digitalization of tickets but will also advertise private products on its businesses.
“There will be monitors install on the buses for them to carry out advertisement for people who will want to advertise their business; we will generate money from that as well,” he said.
“Also, we’re going to be venturing in a special platform where an individual can use their phone and get a bus for their trip. For example, if you want to catch a ride on the bus, you can just go to the app and see the schedule and take what you want to take.”
He said there will be a platform available for passengers to do their payment, “For payment, all an individual have to do is to go to the platform book the bus and go to the NTA and catch the bus.”
The NTA boss disclosed that the agency is planning to construct terminals around the country beginning with the Somalia Drive.
“Those terminals will be a place where the NTA buses will be making stops picking up and dropping passengers along the way,” he said.
He said the construction of the terminals will be done in three phases starting from the commercial hub of Red Light to Monrovia before spreading out into other parts of the country.
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