The City of Cape Town is offering registered job seekers free MyCiTi bus rides.
The initiative is aimed at making job opportunities more accessible to those who are currently unemployed.
The City’s mayoral committee member for transport and urban development, Brett Herron, said economic growth coupled with job creation, was vital for building sustainable cities.
“As much as it is our responsibility to ensure that we create an enabling environment that attracts investment and skills, we also want to broaden access to these opportunities to those residents who are currently excluded from the labour market but who are desperate to earn a decent living.”
He said many people gave up looking for work because it was too expensive for them to travel between their homes and other locations where they may apply for a job opportunity.
Mr Herron said when council adopted the City’s budget for the 2017/18 financial year, the City had made provision for up to
R6.6 million to subsidise free MyCiTi bus rides for registered job seekers in Cape Town.
“We will provide a free myconnect card and two free journeys on the MyCiTi bus every week to support job seekers in their efforts to find employment.”
Unemployed residents qualify if they are already registered on the City’s Expanded Public Works Programme job seekers’ database. The concession applies to those job seekers who are registered at Sub- councils 1, 3, 9, 10, 12, 15, 16, 23 or 24. These sub-councils fall in the MyCiTi footprint and are served by MyCiTi routes.
Job seekers who qualify will receive a free myconnect card, worth R35, loaded with a special travel package. This will allow two free one-way journeys every week on any MyCiTi route.
This includes changing from one bus or route to another to reach a destination. Travel can take place on any week day starting between 9am and 10am or between 2pm and 3pm. The journey can end outside of these times, but job seekers must ensure that they start their journey within these time periods. Job seekers can make use of their free bus rides with immediate effect.
“There will be 100 000 cards available until Monday November 20, or until all of the myconnect cards have been issued to registered job seekers.
Mr Herron said this initiative is a pilot project which will be monitored until June 30 2018.
“We will use the outcome of this pilot to monitor the impact and uptake and to see whether and how we can extend the concession thereafter.”
Applicants must apply at the sub-council office where they are registered on the job seekers’ database by presenting their identity document and completing an application form.
“I am urging businesses and potential employers to please try to schedule interviews for the late morning, midday or early afternoon to allow job seekers using the MyCiTi service to benefit from this programme.”
Job seekers registered at the following sub-councils qualify for the free MyCiTi rides, and cards are available at the following venues:
Sub-council 1, corner of Grosvenor and Hermes Avenue, Saxonsea, Atlantis
Sub-council 3, Summer Greens Community Hall, Tinkers Road, Summer Greens
Sub-council 9 Site B, Khayelitsha Shopping Centre
Sub-council 10, Khayelitsha Training Centre, corner of Lwandle and Phendula Crescent, Khayelitsha
Sub-council 12, Lentegeur Administrative Office, corner of Melkbos and Merrydale Roads, Lentegeur
Sub-council 15, Brooklyn Library, Koeberg Road, Brooklyn
Sub-council 16, 11th Floor, 44 Wale Street, Cape Town ; Roads Depot, 17 Main Road, Hout Bay; Hangberg Sports and Recreation Centre, Karbonkel Road, Hangberg, Hout Bay
Sub-council 23, Lentegeur Administrative Office, corner of Melkbos and Merrydale Roads, Lentegeur
Sub-council 24, Kuyasa Library, Walter Sisulu Road, Mandela Park, Khayelitsha
Job seekers needing more information or assistance can call the Transport Information Centre on 0800 65 64 63.
The centre is available 24/7 and agents can help callers in English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa.
