DigitFMS Introduces Digit D-Pax Bus Passenger Counting Solution

Midrand, October 5, 2026 - DigitFMS, the South African electronic security and fleet technology company, has introduced Digit D-Pax, a bus count solution that combines passenger counting, onboard video recording and optional driver monitoring in a single onboard package. Available nationally through the DigitFMS branch network, D-Pax is aimed at bus and passenger transport operators who can already see where their vehicles are, but have no independent record of how many people each bus carries, on which trips and at what times.

A gap between location and load

Vehicle tracking has made bus location routine information for most operators. Passenger numbers are a different matter. They usually come from manual tallies, trip sheets, ticket sales or the assumptions written into a transport contract. These sources are hard to check against one another, and they say little about what happened on a particular trip.

That matters wherever passenger numbers affect revenue, planning or safety: a municipal service deciding how many vehicles a route needs, a mine moving shift workers, a contractor reporting to a client, or a scholar transport operator accounting for learners on each journey.

How Digit D-Pax works

D-Pax is built around a passenger-counting sensor mounted at the bus doorway, which counts people boarding and alighting. Sensor placement is confirmed for each vehicle and door layout, and a bus with more than one door may need more than one sensor.

The count is backed by video. A mobile digital video recorder, the central recording unit, stores footage from two mini dome cameras covering selected passenger areas and from a dual camera that covers the road ahead and the cab. The standard package includes a 512 GB microSD card for onboard storage.

Operators who need driver-specific records can add an optional driver monitoring camera. It helps associate driving activity with a particular driver, where the configured system supports this.

What operators gain

DigitFMS describes the package as three layers of visibility: count, record and accountability. In practice, that gives an operator:

• Passenger demand. Counts show how demand changes across vehicles, trips and times of day, supporting occupancy monitoring and route planning.
• Fleet utilisation. Passenger numbers set against vehicle capacity show where buses run full and where they run light, which informs schedules, departure times and vehicle allocation.
• An independent reference. The count can be compared with trip sheets, ticket sales or contract figures.
• Incident review. Recorded footage can assist when reviewing accidents, disputes, operational incidents and passenger complaints.

Where it applies

DigitFMS recommends D-Pax for public and municipal transport, staff transport, mining employee transport, school buses, contract bus operators and shuttle services.

On mine shift buses, for example, the count provides a record of passenger movements that can be compared with roster headcounts. On shuttle services, it shows which departures carry demand and which run light, so that frequency can be adjusted.

"Tracking tells an operator where a bus is. It does not tell them how many people were on the 5am trip, and that number usually comes from a trip sheet or an estimate," says Rordon Cowley, Founder and CEO of DigitFMS. "D-Pax puts a recorded count next to that figure, with video behind it, so that decisions about routes, vehicles and contracts rest on what happened on the bus."

Scoped for each vehicle

D-Pax is configured per vehicle. Before installation, DigitFMS confirms door layout, sensor and camera positions, power supply, storage needs and how long video must be kept. It also confirms what the operator needs to report on, how often, and whether by vehicle, trip or route. Counting and recording are checked before handover.

Because onboard video records passengers, DigitFMS says signage, access to footage and retention periods are agreed with each operator in line with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), with particular care taken on scholar transport.

Availability

Digit D-Pax is available to bus and passenger transport operators across South Africa, and is installed and supported through the DigitFMS branch network. Operators can contact DigitFMS at https://digitfms.co.za/contact/ for more information.

About DigitFMS

DigitFMS is a South African electronic security and fleet technology company providing electronic security solutions for fixed and mobile assets. Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Midrand, Gauteng, the company is registered with the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSiRA). Its solutions include vehicle tracking and fleet management, stolen vehicle recovery, fuel monitoring, mobile video, CCTV and access control, alarm systems and off-site monitoring. DigitFMS serves businesses nationally through its branch network, which handles installation and ongoing support. DigitFMS is the trading name of Digicell 23 CC. More information is available at https://digitfms.co.za/.