Altron subsidiary Netstar has been awarded a three-year contract by the eThekwini Municipality for the supply, integration and maintenance of a vehicle tracking technology solution for 7 000 vehicles.
The multi-million rand deal, which will involve technology being deployed across the entire fleet, enables the municipality to track, monitor, communicate and respond in realtime.
Pierre Bruwer, MD of Netstar, comments: “Our innovative and world-class technology solutions will be used to assist the eThekwini Municipality in providing a seamless transport service to the citizens of eThekwini. This includes the provision and maintenance of tracking and transport management.
“Partnering with our customers to empower them is part of the Altron fabric – particularly with regard to skills development and service delivery,” he adds.
Skills transfer forms part of the contract, and Netstar has committed to ensuring both skills development and female empowerment. Netstar runs an 18-month technician apprenticeship programme which entails training eThekwini’s female employees as technicians within the Fleet Systems and Monitoring division. They have studied Electrical Engineering with support from the City, Netstar and on-site mentors.
Suben Govender, senior manager of the municipality’s city fleet, says the Unit is passionate about ensuring employment equity and the transfer of skills. “In our previous model we had appointed a service provider to handle the maintenance of our tracking systems but there was little to no skills transfer. It is imperative that the youth are empowered so that they become employable.”