Telco titan PLDT Inc. and automated fare collections system operator AF Payments Inc. (AFPI) have partnered to provide the transport sector with a “modernized fare and tracking system” that could help the industry deliver more efficient services to commuters.
Through this tie-up, AFPI, the developer and operator of tap-and-go payments system beep, will bundle its collections system with PLDT Enterprise’s Smart Tracker Solution that will provide transport companies with a “complete fleet management and fare collection solution.”
“The Smart Tracker solution aims to simplify the management of fleets of public transport vehicles. With the service, Public Transport Operators can choose to provide locator links which commuters can access in order to better manage their commute and travel time,” PLDT First Vice President Jojo Gendrano said.
He added that through the partnership, transport operators can implement effective fleet management and modern fare collection systems that could ultimately benefit the riding public thanks to better vehicle sculling and passenger information systems.
“Through this strong partnership with PLDT Enterprise, we continue to build on the efforts of modernizing the public transport sector and making modern fare payment accessible to all,” AFPI Chief Commercial Officer Sharon Fong said.
AFPI operates beep, the tap-and-go payments collection system that is currently being used in all overhead railway systems, and certain jeepney and bus routes.
“We at PLDT Enterprise are confident that this strategic partnership will enable a more modernized transportation management and cashless payment system to benefit Filipino commuters. Bus companies can manage their operations better and the public will be assured of a simpler and safer way to commute with contactless payments,” PLDT Enterprise Head Jovy Hernandez said.
Earlier, PLDT said it is planning to spend as much as P92 billion in capital outlays in 2021 to meet the “surge in demand for data” and heed the government’s call to “elevate” the local telecommunications industry and deliver services that meet global standards.
Alfredo S. Panlilio, the company’s CFO and the president of subsidiary Smart Communications Inc., said his group is increasing its capital expenditures by as much as 25 percent in 2021 to expand both its fixed and wireless networks.
In the last five years, PLDT has invested P260 billion in its networks, with its wireless network now reaching 96 percent of the population and covering 95 percent of the country’s cities and municipalities, while its fiber infrastructure now running at 422,000 kilometers.