Safaricom has partnered with BuuPass, a marketplace for bus, shuttle, and train bookings to launch an online service where travelers in the country can book and purchase bus tickets.
The service is currently available with five bus operators and looks to onboard more than 20 additional operators by the end of the year. Customers can access the service by dialing *877# and at buupass.com with payments accepted through M-PESA.
Through the app, customers can select a bus operator, preferred travel date and time, and reserve specific seat numbers. Customers can also reserve seats for multiple travelers, with tickets printed at the bus station after presentation of the confirmation SMS.
The service seeks a slice of the local inter-city transport industry estimated to be worth more than KES 100 billion annually but which is also characterized by low uptake of technology and digital solutions. The two firms have been working on the bus ticketing solution for more than a year and have already sold more than 80,000 tickets across more than 100 routes.
Rita Okuthe, Chief Enterprise Business Officer, Safaricom
We further see a prospect in linking bus companies to opportunities by providing them with a solution to manage customer ticketing and cashless payments.
Sonia Kabra, Co-founder and Director, BuuPass
Our platform similarly provides bus companies with a bus and parcel management system where they can manage their fleet, have control over their operational costs, and effectively reach more travelers and in turn sell more seats through our marketplace.
