By Buba Gagigo
The Gambia Transport Service Company (GTSC) will be launching its TAAMO CARD on July 31st, 2024. This new card aims to provide convenience, security, and financial flexibility for travelers, reducing the need to carry cash and simplifying transactions on GTSC buses.
“To add spice to all these positive developments, in the next two days, precisely, this coming Wednesday, July 31, 2024, we will be launching the TAAMO (our digital travel card for our esteemed passengers). This is a digital card preloaded with cash and can be used to pay for transport fares by tapping it on the validators that are fixed on our buses. This Card is meant to provide convenience, security, and financial flexibility during travel, minimizing the risk and hassle associated with carrying cash and simplifying transactions on board our buses,” the Managing Director of GTSC, Seedy Kanyi said.
Over the past decade, GTSC has become a significant player in Gambia’s transport sector, contributing to economic growth in various ways.
“Thanks to the handwork of my indefatigable staff and the collaborative support from our Parent Company (SSHFC) and the Gambia Government, especially the Office of the President, the Ministry of Transport, Works and Infrastructure, and several other Government Departments and Agencies. You will recall that in April 2023, His Excellency President Adama Barrow commissioned 70 brand-new buses in Banjul, and It was at this important ceremony that His Excellency the President of the Republic announced that the smart travel card that came with this fleet would be named TAAMO, meaning travel, Tuki. Since then, commuters in the Gambia and beyond have been benefiting from the services of GTSC,” the GTSC MD said.
Kanyi highlighted that GTSC has been instrumental in creating employment and providing safer, more reliable, and more affordable transportation options.
He added that the introduction of this technology is timely, enhancing GTSC’s digitization efforts to maximize revenue collection.
“Incorporating the TAAMO will ensure more accountability and will significantly minimize revenue leakage in our daily operations. It is important to note that in the event the card is lost, stolen, or damaged, the cardholder can still maintain his or her cash balance on the replacement card,” MD Kanyi said.
He explained that commuters can acquire these cards from their different outlets for themselves as well as for their families and loved ones.
“All this is geared towards making the travel experience in the Gambia through GTSC very convenient, safe, and affordable,” he said.
Kanyi also mentioned the potential for the TAAMO card to be used for shopping at different points of sale across the Gambia by integrating it into the GAM-Switch network for bill payments and shopping.
“This is history in the making, and it will bring GTSC service to the doorsteps of all those resident in the Gambia. Once this technology is rolled out across the length and breadth of the country, it will make life easy for both the rural and urban dwellers and will provide them with the same opportunities for growth through the use of GTSC services wherever they live,” he said.
The Managing Director further emphasized that the technology will empower women involved in agriculture and business to load the required amount of cash on their cards, preventing loss or theft, especially during busy times.
“This is especially so in the case of our hard-working women during Lumo days across the country. To conclude, we invite all our business partners (the Banks, microfinance Institutions and Foreign Exchange Bureaus, as well as the cell phone companies) to come on board to tap into the numerous benefits of this innovation,” he concluded.