Zamtel, Zambia’s largest telecommunications company, has partnered with Mazhandu Family Bus Services to provide free Wi-Fi on board all the transport company’s fleet.
Zamtel hopes the partnership with Mazhandu will transform the public passenger transport landscape in Zambia, according to a statement issued by Zamtel’s communications specialist Changwe Kabwe.
Additionally, Mazhandu passengers will also have the convenience of paying for their tickets using ZamPay, the country’s first ever Quick Response (QR) code payment platform.
“To increase efficiency and improve customer service, Zamtel is setting up a dedicated Closed User Group for Mazhandu to allow for cheaper and cost effective communications for bus crews,” Zamtel stated this morning.
Zamtel Head of Corporate and Government Relations Reuben Kamanga is hopeful the introduction of free Wi-Fi on public transports will increase passenger flow and “encourage people to opt for public transportation by leveraging free on-board Wi-Fi, given the increasing demand for Wi-Fi on transport services”.
Mazhandu Family Bus Services director Justine Mazhandu is optimistic the partnership will see an increase in passenger numbers.
“We move on average 1,200 passenger daily and we have observed that digital amenities are increasingly impacting our passengers who need to access free Wi-Fi to run many tasks such as check emails, listen to music, send text messages, stream videos, use social networks while travelling,” said Mazhandu. “For the Livingstone route for instance, we serve a lot of tourists who can benefit from free Wi-Fi en route on buses in order to get in contact with their families or access their social networks to share pictures of the tourist sites with their friends.”
