Bereng Mpaki
ECONET Telecom Lesotho’s new Traffic Camera service has come in handy for commuters, helping them to properly plan their routes in order to avoid being stuck in traffic jams especially during peak periods.
Introduced last month, the service provides motorists a live video view into the status of traffic on different roads mainly in Maseru but it is also available at Leribe and Maputsoe.
In an interview with ETL’s Product Manager, Tlhaku Mokhethi, said the facility was inspired by the need to address the rapid rise in traffic jams in the country in recent years.
“We have traffic cameras that automatically pan and zoom 24 hours a day at five different places of interest in Maseru, namely, Maseru Bridge, Lakeside traffic lights, Lekhaloaneng traffic lights, Hillsview next to the traffic circle and Maputsoe Bridge,” Mokhethi said.
He said the service is accessed through three different ways, through internet : webcast.etl.co.ls (note that the internet service has to be provided by Econet in order for you to access the cameras); by dialing *100*155# – to get an SMS with a link to the site, and by dialing *100#, (menu) option 9 (promotions), option 1 (traffic cam), then one can select the area that they want to view upon which an SMS with a link to that specific camera will be send.
Users will also need to have a smartphone device and be prepared to spend money to buy data for them to access the service.
“At Econet, innovation is part of our culture and we are always coming up with solutions that meet our customer needs and make their life better. So, the concept came about when we realized that the traffic on our roads is increasing at an exponential rate,” Mr Mokhethi said.
“Our traffic cameras are connected through fibre which is the most reliable form of connectivity and our customers are able to access the feed from the cameras through our improved 3G and 4G networks.”
“At Econet, customer satisfaction through meeting customer needs is our number one priority, therefore, when customers are happy, we are also happy,” Mokhethi said.
