According to a statement from the provincial government of Huambo, to which VerAngola had access, since last Thursday, users of public passenger transport in Huambo have access to the regular 'Giramais' pass.
"The project launch ceremony took place this Thursday (26.09.2024) in the government auditorium, an initiative of the National Integrated Ticketing Company, which established a promotional period, which runs until 30 November of this year", the note reads.
This event was attended by the deputy governor for the Political, Social and Economic Sector, Angelino Elavoco, who "symbolically was the first to have access to the regular pass and to enjoy it, on a trip to the municipality of Caála".
On the occasion, the official highlighted that "mobility is a human need, and achieving this at the lowest cost and in a timely manner is imperative for societies that want to be increasingly dynamic and modern, where public transport, whether by land, rail or sea, is the option for the various categories of passengers depending on the specific realities of each one".
"The forecast is that 10 thousand passes will be issued in this promotional phase, a number that, although it does not satisfy the demand for public transport at provincial level, may increase in the following months", the statement states.
The provincial government also states that five public transport operators have signed "membership contracts" with ENBI, "with the aim of making public passenger transport in Huambo more modern".
Regarding Malanje, Pedro Pereira, the company's executive director, reported that the routes that will cover this service have already been established, and that, initially, the passes will cover the route that starts at Mercado da Catepa, passing through Xawande, and ends at the market in the municipality of Cangandala.
Quoted by Jornal de Angola, the official said that the regular 'Giramais' pass is available to all passengers who wish to use urban public transport, which is accepted on all buses that are part of the National Integrated Ticketing System network and costs 5000 kwanzas to be issued.
In turn, Monteiro Júnior, acting director of Transport, Traffic and Urban Mobility of Malanje, stated that the province received fifty buses, of which 24 were registered in the ENBI system, adding that, in order to increase activity, an internal procedure will be implemented to distribute transport routes.
Speaking at the presentation of the initiative in Huambo, the chairman of the ENBI Executive Board, Mário Nsingui, said that it is a national project, guided by the Government, and whose objective is to reduce mobility challenges, especially in urban areas.
"The idea is to modernise the transport system, with this digital transformation programme, created in 2018. This is a new stage, which began after the implementation of all the technology necessary to support the process", he said, quoted by Jornal de Angola.
According to the official, the project is already initially available in Luanda, Huíla, Malanje, Benguela and Huambo, and the next step is to reach Cabinda.
Speaking specifically about Huambo, the official said that the five operators participating in the project have a total of 35 buses available, and warned that operators who do not respect the contracts will be punished.
On the occasion, Mário Nsingui also mentioned that the pass is valid for three years, and that there are plans to soon review the rates of valid cards, both weekly and monthly, to ensure that users can travel without worrying about their balance.
