DRTS to ease congestion through new app
Pauline Dikuelo | Wednesday April 12, 2017 15:35
According to the brains behind the app, Justice William, the DRTS will use the application or app to reduce congestion at the their offices.
“I am proud and excited to tell you that we have come up with a solution that will stop the long queues that customers usually experience at DRTS. We have created an app that will help customers to queue online at their convenience and get a warning about the progression of the queue,” he said.
William is a beneficiary of the Botswana Innovation Hub (BIH) incubation programme.
The app which would be rolled out in 12 branches of the DRTS in the first phase will enable customers to queue while at their convenience and can check how many people are in front of them and will also give out a warning an hour before.
William said even though negotiations started sometime last year, they finally managed to get a contract with the ministry after a pilot phase, which took almost a year and some months.
According to William, even though it took him almost six years to get his breakthrough, persistence and passion is what drove him as he is a software engineer by profession.
“Government is currently doing its best to support the local innovation, which is a good thing because as we speak most of us have also been taken to Selebi-Phikwe to see if we can take part in revitalising the town,” he said.
Earlier this month, the Minister of Tertiary Education, Research Science and Technology, Alfred Madigele said as part of BIH’s outreach programme in and around Selebi-Phikwe, they have partnered with BCL Mine in support of innovative companies. As part of the partnership, BCL paid for premises used by these companies.
To reach out to innovation companies based out of Gaborone, Madigele said during the current financial year, BIH reached out to innovators based in Gantsi, D’Kar, Maun, Francistown, Thamaga, Oodi and Palapye amongst others.
The companies were assisted with mentoring and coaching, business network opportunities, technical and business advisory services as well.
William further said this is one of their best solutions that they are bringing in the country noting that they intend to launch two more apps that will contribute towards revolutionalising mobile money transactions as well as the one that will address issues of security.