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Johannesburg - As from January 2009, Gauteng motor vehicles will get new "intelligent" licence plates that will work with the new electronic tolling system planned for the province as part of its transport system overhaul.
The spokesperson for the Gauteng Transport Management Authority (GTMA), Melissa Whitehead, says the province is running out of licence-numbering options, and will use the new licence system as an opportunity to roll out plates with microchips in them.
"Right now, Gauteng lacks an integrated system, even though commuters have a lot of options (taxis, buses and trains)," said Whitehead, adding that there was still not enough public transport and good service all around.
The new plates will comprise two characters, followed by two numbers and then another two characters instead of the current three characters, three numbers.
"So it will be like BB22BB GP," she said, adding that this will give more flexibility in assigning plates to cars than the three-three system.
Illegal number plate sellers, of which there are many in Gauteng, says Whitehead, will either have to close shop or be accredited to sell new plates.
The number plates currently in use will no longer be issued after December 31. Whitehead said vehicle owners don't have to worry about getting the new plates early next year: "People with existing motor vehicles will be given a time period to get the new plate when they renew their licence next year," she said.
Timetables, tickets, call centres revamped
In addition to new licence plates, the GTMA has also taken over the provincial department's role of revamping the way Gauteng drivers' licence centres operate, giving applicants electronic accessibility when applying for a licence and "beefing up" call centres.
The GTMA will also be rolling out a single ticket system that will be similar to London's Oyster card system, where commuters will only require one ticket to use buses, trains and taxis.
Passengers will still be able to pay cash for public transport, but there will also be a card available that would allow commuters to input a pre-paid amount, which will be deducted for an entire trip using different modes of transport.
"Say you have R100 loaded on the card; the unified fare system will calculate how many kilometres you travelled, add in a discount and deduct the final amount off your card. And the more one travels, the better the discount," said Whitehead.
She said that the mechanics of the card were still being planned, as it would take into account different categories of commuters - like pensioners, students and frequent travellers.
The new system will be used for both existing and future public transport operators. "But this is going to take a while, it can't all be done overnight," said Whitehead.
She said that within the next 18 months, the province would already start to see a few changes. By May 2009, there will be a consolidated timetable, which will become an integrated public transport timetable by the end of the year. Shortly after that, there will be integrated fares and ticketing.
This will eventually lead to a point where there will be a system with norms and standards - from what vehicles look like (yellow buses for schools and white for hospitals) to a uniform appearance for stations and bus stops.
-Fin24.com
