LCC Awards Toll Collection Contract to 3Line
The Lekki Concession Company (LCC), has awarded its toll collection (toll card and e-Tag account top-up) contract to 3Line Card Management Limited. The General Manager of 3Line Card Management, Funke Ade-Ojo who disclosed this to Thisday explained that the award was in recognition of 3Line’s pioneering effort in the provision of ePayment and related electronic financial services to consumer using its “Freedom Network” service.
LCC was made the concessionaire of the pioneering 30-year PPP Toll Road Concession covering 49.4km of Lekki Epe Expressway under mandate from Lagos State.
Ade-Ojo disclosed that the “Freedom Network” is an integrated network of participating banks, merchants, government agencies and consumers on a single platform to enable instant and always available financial services (branchless banking, mobile payment, bill payment, toll collections and top-up etc) through POS terminals, mobile phones and Internet Channels.
She emphasised that 3Line operates and manages the prepaid-based Freedom Network and has successfully integrated to other switches and third party collectors like LCC. LCC’s Toll Card and eTag accounts can be topped-up using either cash or Freedom Card (an EMV compliant, DDA based Chip Card) at many merchant locations in the Lagos environ.
According to Ade-Ojo, with this award LCC benefits by having cash handling at toll points grossly reduced, which is expected to result in operational efficiency and accountability. 3Line’s Freedom Network and Street Banking merchants are strategically located within various communities, which will make it more convenient for commuters to top-up their toll cards and eTag accounts so they can experience reduced queues at toll points.
She stressed that the banks, merchants and Lekki Community dwellers who are the other stakeholders are not left out in this new development. She stated 3Line and LCC has partnered with some banks to deliver this service, adding that merchants will act as the agents to operate the POS terminals.
By Efem Nkanga, Thisday Newspaper - 1st July 2010
