Hop on, hop off
The Jammie Shuttle is the easiest way to get from point A to B. It’s free for students (if you show your student card) and runs weekdays, weekends and holidays. It even includes a late-night service. Check out uct.ac.za/students/services/jammie/maps for route maps and timetables.
Golden Arrow buses are easily accessible from the Jammie Shuttle stops in Claremont and Mowbray. Check out www.gabs.co.za.
MyCiTi integrates with the Jammie Shuttle at the Gardens station in Buitenkant Street. From there you can head into Vredehoek, Oranjezicht and the city centre. The rapid bus service also runs to Salt River, Woodstock, Table View, Century City, the West Coast, Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plain, and the Atlantic Seaboard all the way to Llandudno and Hout Bay. Check out myciti.org.za to see routes of the feeder services in these areas.
Listen out for the gaartjie
Minibus taxis pick up and drop off passengers along virtually every main route in the city. The Mowbray and Claremont Jammie Shuttle stops are a few steps away from minibus taxi hubs, and there are multiple stops near some UCT residences. Make sure you have the exact change ready for your trip. (PS gaartjie is Cape Town slang for the guy who calls out the route and collects the fares.)
Share a cab
Metered taxis (including Uber) are just a phonecall or SMS away. You can save money by sharing a ride, and it’s the safer option if you’ve had a drink or two!
Down the line
Cape Town has a good rail service that fans out across the city. The Southern Line stops at Mowbray, Observatory, Rosebank and Rondebosch stations, which are both within walking distance of UCT’s lower, middle and upper
campuses. You can find timetables at Metrorail stations and at metrorail.co.za.
Car pool
First-year students aren’t allowed to bring cars onto campus, but you can apply to park at Rhodes Memorial, which is just a short walk away. You can apply for a disc at the traffic administration offices on upper campus. And think about carpooling! You can access the P4 carpool parking lot on upper campus if three or more student or staff cards are swiped at the boom within 10 seconds of the first swipe. One of you must have a parking disc. Find out more at ridelink.findalift.co.za.
Two-wheelers
The good news is that first-years are allowed to bring a motor bike or scooter onto campus as long as you buy a black parking disc from traffic administration. Although cyclists might find the terrain a bit uphill, there are designated cycling routes all around campus. Skateboarding is also big in Cape Town. So you can use your board to get to lectures, and then cruise downhill all the way home.
Your own two feet
It’s easiest to get around UCT on foot. If you’re on campus after dark, it’s best to walk in a group and to stick to the Foot Route – they have emergency points so that you can call Campus Protection Services (CPS) if you need help.
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