City of Ottawa collects $1 million in fines
using online system
Joint Teranet and RBC solution offers easy payment
of Provincial Offences Act fines
Ottawa, September 12, 2005 - The City of Ottawa today announced that 1 million dollars in fine revenues have been collected using an online payment system. Paytickets.ca, a joint initiative between Teranet Enterprises and RBC, offers payment of tickets issued under the Provincial Offences Act (POA). The current adoption rate for the service is over 16%, far in excess of the City's original projections.
"The convenience and confidentiality offered by this service is an asset to our constituents." says Ken Hughes, Manager of Revenue for the City of Ottawa. "Every person who pays online is one less person standing in line", continues Hughes. For a fee of three dollars, citizens charged under The Provincial Offences Act can pay for the offence from the privacy of their home or office. Payment time usually takes less than a minute. Payees also have immediate access to confirmation of their transactions, and receipts can be printed from the site.
The underlying technology for the service is Teranet's Unity® system which offers transaction management, accounting, billing and processing capabilities. The enterprise transaction engine is fully scalable and can be incorporated into municipal, provincial or federal systems. "The Paytickets solution is a great way for municipalities to see an immediate return on investment," says Greg O'Brien, Senior Account Executive at Teranet. "Because the critical infrastructure for a venture such as this resides at Teranet, there is no extended roll-out time associated with implementation". Teranet was able to complete the City of Ottawa's rollout in three weeks.
"Municipalities can also receive payment faster as there is no time delay caused by mail service or waiting for monies from financial institutions," says Mitchell Dick, Manager of E-Payment Services at RBC.
The Provincial Offences Act covers charges to individuals and corporations accused of offences under a variety of acts including the Highway Traffic Act, the Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act, the Liquor License Act, and the Trespass to Property Act. Most tickets paid online are speeding tickets which fall under the Highway Traffic Act.
Payees can access this service by going to www.paytickets.ca or to the City of Ottawa website at www.ottawa.ca
About Teranet Inc.
Teranet Enterprises Inc. provides business-to-business and business-to-government e-service solutions. With a unique combination of capabilities and state-of-the art systems, Teranet Enterprises Inc. is at the forefront of enabling electronic government service delivery as well as delivering service potential in the land, legal and financial services industries.
About RBC Global Services
RBC Global Services offers specialized transaction processing services to business, commercial, corporate, and institutional clients in domestic and select international markets. Key businesses include: global custody, investment administration, correspondent banking, cash management, payments and trade finance. With more than C$1.6 trillion in client assets under administration, it is a leading provider of securities services worldwide and Canada's largest custodian. It is also a leading provider of treasury management services providing a full suite of electronic cash management services. RBC Global Services facilitates a high volume of domestic and international payment services for clients around the world, and is the largest processor of Canadian dollar payments in Canada. It has specialists in London, Dubai, Singapore, Beijing, Sydney, Mexico City, New York and across Canada.
About the City of Ottawa
Ottawa, Canada's capital, has a population of 845,000. On January 1, 2001, the new City of Ottawa was an amalgamation of a regional government and 11 municipal governments. Responsibility for POA was transferred to the new City of Ottawa in March 2001. Revenue Division aggressively enforces POA through collection and implemented the Paytickets solution to complement their enforcement and to improve customer service.
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For more information contact:
Bonnie Foster
Teranet Inc.
(416) 643-1095
Greg O’Brien
Teranet Inc.
(613) 592-7708
Ken Hughes
City of Ottawa
(613) 580-2424 ext. 13485
Mitchell Dick
RBC Global Services
(416) 974-6533