Free bus travel for job seekers in George now available
What is the programme about?
The George municipality has started a new programme called the Jobseekers Travel Voucher Programme. It gives unemployed people free bus tickets so they can travel to job interviews, submit CVs, or follow up on job applications. This is the first time the programme has been launched outside of Cape Town.
Why is this important?
Many people in South Africa cannot afford transport to look for work. This makes it hard to find a job. The programme wants to remove that barrier. In the Western Cape, the unemployment rate is 18.1%, which is lower than the national average of 31.9%. But transport costs still affect many job seekers.
How does the programme work?
- About 7,500 free travel vouchers are available for unemployed people living in George.
- Each voucher gives six free trips on GO GEORGE buses.
- Trips can only be used during off-peak hours: between 9am and 3pm on weekdays.
- If you need to change buses, you can do it for free within one hour. That counts as one trip.
- The vouchers are valid until March next year.
Who can get the vouchers?
Unemployed residents of George can apply. The municipality will check that the vouchers are used by genuine job seekers. In Cape Town, 72% of users were young people and 70% were women. The programme has already helped many – 35% of people who used it in Cape Town now have jobs.
How many trips will be provided?
The programme expects to enable around 45,000 bus trips in total. It has a budget of R1.8 million for this financial year, covering both Cape Town and George.
What does the municipality say?
Chantel Edwards, a municipality spokesperson, said the goal is to use spare bus capacity during off-peak times to help job seekers at low cost. The programme aims to reduce transport as a barrier to employment, especially for young people and women.
This article was originally published on TimesLIVE.
