By Salisu Sani-Idris

The Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), in partnership with Wema Bank and Digix Technologies, has unveiled a cashless payment application for travellers known as Karrygo Cashless Programme.

The Executive National President of RTEAN, Dr Musa Maitakobi, unveiled the application on Wednesday in Abuja.

He explained that the application would provide a seamless financial transaction process for transiting Nigerians in line with the cashless policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Represented by Amb. Muhammad Abubakar, Deputy National President of RTEAN, Maitakobi, said that the Karrygo programme would eliminate fraud and improve accountability in the transportation sector.

” We are partnering with the Wema Bank and Digix Technologies, a technology partner, to provide a seamless financial transaction process for the transiting Nigerians, in line with the present cashless policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

” This will ensure hitch free transportation.

Maitakobi also said that the programme would put a check on insecurity, as all information about the travellers final destination would have been collected from the electronic or digital manifest generated in the cause of processing their payment for the journey.

” It is our hope that when this programme comes into full implementation, a lot more sanity will be enthroned in the road transport sector in Nigeria.

” And after this official launching, all our members across the country will be properly trained on what should be done to achieve greater results.

” This is because we need personnel to handle the equipment to be used, for example, Non-internet Point of Sale (POS) which will function without network, because of those in remote areas.”

Earlier, the Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Dauda Biu, expressed hope that the inauguration of the application would push the cashless policy upward.

Represented by the Deputy Corps Marshal, Motor Vehicle Administration, Osawe Efosa, Biu, enjoined the leadership of RTEAN to encourage its members to install speed limit device on their vehicles for safety.

Also, the Founder and Director of DiGIX Technologies Ltd., Damola Akindolire, said the initiative would reduce cash transactions in transport operations in order to protect investment and improve public security.

Akindolire also said that the application would position the Nigeria public transport ahead of its peers in Africa and reinforce its status as a leader in Africa.

He said RTEAN, under the leadership of Maitakobi, had become a forward thinking organisation, adding that the adoption of the cashless policy was one of the proactive actions of RTEAN leadership and was highly commendable.

” For us at Digix, our passion for this project stems from the mandate issued by the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.

” The benefits of this programme cannot be over emphasised, it is in line with the transformation plan of the President Muhammed Buhari’s administration and in the area of security, it will reduce kidnapping and cost of doing business. ”

” We consider RTEAN and Wema Bank the right partner of choice to implement this programme and our goal is to work closely with all stakeholders to achieve 90 per cent compliance within the next 12 months