Garcia: School transport app to speed up payments

The Ministry of Education is working on developing a school transport app to improve payment process to maxi taxi concessionaires.

On Saturday, Garcia said due to the challenges posed by the existing process, the ministry is in the process of developing an app which would be used to calculate payments and allow for a faster payment cycle for drivers.

He said the app will cover the entire monitoring of students and drivers’ route.

“The process would involve the issuing of an ID card to students, which would be scanned upon entry and exit during their journey to and from school in the maxi taxi.

“This process will now allow drivers to submit their claim forms via the app, electronically, for payments and would eliminate all errors and significantly cut the waiting time for processing of payments,” Garcia said.

He said the new system will be managed from the ministry.

In a release, Garcia said the ministry is working feverishly to improve the existing process to effect faster payments to maxi taxi concessionaires.

Garcia said the current payment process is a very convoluted and time-consuming one, consisting of several steps, which include submission of completed claim forms to principals for signature from the maxi taxi concessionaires.

He said the forms are then submitted to PTSC by the drivers for verification.

“The PTSC then forwards the verified documents to the director of school supervision (DSS) in the ministry, the DSS is then responsible for ensuring that the submitted claims are error free and contain the school’s stamp and principal’s signature.

“They are then forwarded to the director of finance and accounts (DFA) for further processing. Once errors are detected, these forms are returned to PTSC for queries related to billing errors, PTSC will then address the errors and return claim forms to DSS,” Garcia explained.

Garcia said the DSS will then check all information and forward the files to the permanent secretary via the Chief Education Officer before going to the DFA for processing for payments.

He said once completed, request for releases are then made to the Ministry of Finance by the DFA.

“Once releases are made, cheques are prepared and sent to PTSC which is then responsible for the distribution of payments to the contracted concessionaires.

He said the ministry has effected payments to the PTSC for services received from maxi taxi concessionaires in excess of $4.7 million while the processing of claims continue for the period October 14 to October 25.

Garcia said the invoices were received on November 18.

He said the ministry values the services provided by PTSC and maxi taxi concessionaires and will continue to work with both stakeholders to improve the delivery of this service.