“Even when you’re on the move, stay online.” That’s probably what the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) was thinking when they partnered up with Telkom order to bring free Wi-Fi connections to taxi ranks, as well as mini bus taxis, across South Africa.
Nkululeko Buthelezi, CEO of Santaco, told Talk Radio 702 that the initiative is part of a project that looks to improve the group’s taxi services and make taxi travel all the more appealing to consumers.
The service will begin rolling out on 12 June, 2014; just in time for the World Cup. The service will be initially free to those travelling via the upgraded taxi services. Revenue generated from advertisements made by the multitude of partners and stakeholders will be used to fund the project.
Phase 1 of the project is expected to equip around 1,500 taxis as well as 10 of the major taxi ranks with Wi-Fi connectivity. But Buthelezi maintained that the aim of the partnership is to roll-out between 4,000-5,000 Wi-Fi equipped taxis each month.
Photocredit: Carslogoblog
