DR Congo: TRANSCO tests QR code tickets to plug revenue leaks 🚌 🇨🇩

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In Kinshasa, state-owned Transport au Congo (TRANSCO) has been piloting a new electronic ticketing system since August 31, 2026. The system runs on a QR code attached to every ticket, designed to give the company a clearer picture of what actually happens on board its buses.

A ticket that reports back 📱

Under the new system, a bus ticket is no longer just a piece of paper. Its QR code logs the transaction the moment it’s checked. The system also keeps a running tally of tickets sold over the course of a day, and ties every check to the agent who performed it — badge number and time stamp included. In effect, TRANSCO now gets a live record of sales and on-board checks. The first scan was carried out by TRANSCO’s director general, Jérémie Kilubu Matondo, on line 31, which runs between Masina’s Quartier 3 and Maluku.

Tying tickets, checks and revenue together 💻

For TRANSCO, the pilot is first and foremost a financial fix. The idea is to match every ticket issued against the checks performed and the revenue actually collected. That data gives the company a daily view of ticket sales and on-board checks. Management frames the move as a way to close revenue gaps and improve transparency — summed up by the director general in one line: « zero opacity, zero revenue leaks, 100% transparency. »

A pilot launched in tough financial conditions 📊

TRANSCO’s finances add weight to the experiment. Back in 2023, the company reported debts of 36 billion Congolese francs (roughly $14 million at the time). Revenue had been improving, but not enough to cover all its costs. Against that backdrop, the new system is mainly a way for TRANSCO to get a documented trail of transactions and checks, matching tickets issued against the revenue they should generate.

Digitization rides alongside a fleet upgrade 🚍

The rollout comes as TRANSCO expands its fleet. On August 25, 2026, the company received 30 more Mercedes-Benz buses, bringing the total delivered to 180 out of 230 ordered — a 78.3% completion rate. The new buses are meant to boost service in Kinshasa and support two new intercity routes, to Lufu in Kongo-Central and Kenge in Kwango. As for the ticketing system itself, the next step is evaluation: TRANSCO needs to confirm it works before considering a network-wide rollout.

Can digital tracking of tickets and checks genuinely help secure public transport revenue? Let us know in the comments.