The Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation (DHBC) has started the registration of individual vehicle owners as part of the rollout of its automated payment system, General Manager Wayne Watson has said.
“We have people coming on a daily basis for verification after signing up on the website and getting tagged,” he explained to Stabroek News in a recent interview.
According to Watson, it is the DHBC’s aim to create a customer friendly environment as it rolls out the contact less payment system.
The General Manager noted, too, that the DHBC is working along with Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) to set up a Mobile Money Guyana (MMG) outlet at the Bridge. He stated that they are aiming to make it easier for customers to make deposits to their wallets after signing up or if the need arises after.
Watson is encouraging persons who traverse the bridge daily to register for the service.
To register, one has to set up a GTT Mobile Money account and register for an account at https://www.dhbcportal.ssi.gy/sign-up. Once registration is completed, the applicant will have to visit the bridge company for verification, approval and installation of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags. This will be done on Monday to Thursday from 08:00hrs to 16:30hrs and on Friday from 08:00hrs to 15:30 hrs, and Saturday from 08:00 to 11:00hrs. The verification process takes approximately 10 minutes and Watson said it is necessary since they will want to ensure that the vehicle registered online is the same vehicle that will be tagged.
Watson previously said that the new payment system is intended to modernise and improve the efficiency of the DHBC’s services to customers. The system is also aimed at preparing drivers for the new toll system that will be put in place when the new Demerara Harbour Bridge becomes operational.
The initiative is also expected to aid in the elimination of “bottlenecks” during peak hours. He explained that the automated system will eliminate persons having to wait on change after paying the tolls and instances of drivers of left-hand-drive vehicles having to step out of their vehicle to make payments.
Once the process is completed, scanners placed at the toll booths will automatically make the deductions as the vehicle drives through. The scanners located on every lane are able to process a payment from approximately 100 feet away and if any transactions are unsuccessful, it will be indicated to the toll clerks.
Watson has assured that toll booth clerks will remain in place to monitor the process and receive payments for vehicles that are not a part of the automated system. “We are not going to be putting anyone out of a job… no one will be sent home during the implementation of this new system. We still need them to monitor the process and alert security if [any] vehicle passes without paying,” he said.
