SINCE
1942 THE OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN
26 August 2014
VOLUME 73: EDITION 9
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Jammie pilot project Robyn Ausmeier The UCT Jammie Shuttle Service will be changing its routes as of Monday, September 8th, with the introduction of a pilot project. This project is intended to cut costs and ensure that the shuttle system will be sustainable for future usage. The new system will undergo a testing period until Tuesday, September 30th. Following a three week trial, the project will be assessed and if proven to be effective the changes will be made permanent. Implementation of this plan is included under the Properties and Services portfolio at UCT. The pilot project is anticipated to cause an initial inconvenience to students and there is expected to be a necessary period of adjustment. The central changes to the system will be the closure of the West Bus
Stop and the introduction of a new South Stop. South Stop will be moved to the Stop and Drop along Rugby Road, where the Sandown Jammie currently operates on Upper Campus. Due to the new routes, buses will no longer pass along Madiba Circle thereby reducing costs. Students who drive by car and make use of the Stop and Drop area will also be required to change their normal route.
If proven to be effective the changes will be made permanent Despite the revisions, the usual number of buses will continue operating and will follow a strictly maintained schedule. In addition, the same number of students – approximately 25 thousand per
day – will be catered for with the new system. André Theys, Executive Director of Properties and Services at UCT, commented that the main aim of the project is to reduce the budget that is being spent on the Jammie Shuttle Service. He explained that various issues have made the present shuttle system unsustainable, the most significant of these being the “exponential rise in the cost of diesel”. Owing to these concerns, consultants were approached for recommendations and the pilot project was devised as a possible solution. “Once we have tested the project and find that it indeed results in a saving for UCT, we will advise on possible infrastructure changes,” remarked Theys. In response to queries about congestion, they assured students that there will be provisions undertaken to make sure that there
is a smooth transition. Monitors and traffic officers will be positioned at both North Stop and the new South Stop to supervise the process.
UCT students have expressed uncertainty about the project The Jammie Shuttle staff have also been informed about the changes and will be able to assist the students. Additionally, a Risk Management team gave the project its approval after evaluating potential issues regarding safety and congestion. UCT students have expressed uncertainty about the project as well as anxiety over the added inconvenience it may cause. Refentse Ramatlhodi, a student at the University, commented that
she had heard of the pilot project but did not know much about it. “Jammies are already overcrowded. If you change the stops it is going to be even crazier,” she remarked. Ramatlhodi says the changes will definitely affect her as she often uses West Stop in the afternoons. Another student, Yvonne Natukunda, raised similar concerns. She predicted that people will be confused at the beginning because they are familiar with the current system. One of the Jammie drivers also brought up the issue of congestion and mentioned that he is concerned about potential time delays. New timetables and route maps are available on the UCT website and posters have gone up around campus. Students have been encouraged to become familiar with the new routes and to remain patient during the trial period.
IN THIS ISSUE
Images: Robyn Ausmeier and Maura Sanderoff
Ebola treatment
PAGE 2
Disposible bodies
PAGE 6
International days
CENTRE
Night at Crew
PAGE 12
Bring it on?
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PAGE 16