The University’s new HopOn project, to be launched on Monday, is an innovative student-driven initiative, offering an intra-campus transport service which makes use of green technologies. The goal of the initiative is to provide the university community with an affordable, fuel efficient, environmentally friendly mode of transportation and a unique travel experience. In addition, HopOn identified that a prime contributor to student safety being compromised is the isolation of students and staff while walking from campus to campus.
Realising that universities have limited resources, students have to contribute to finding innovative solutions to mitigate challenges of safety and general student convenience. It is with this in mind that this initiative was conceived by a student.
The vehicles used are low on fuel emissions and consume less fuel than conventional vehicles. Commuters will be asked to contribute a gratuity of R3.50 per trip towards the sustainability of the initiative. However, this will not be enough to maintain the running costs for the initial stages of the initiative, resulting in other means of subsidy (sponsorships and donations) having to be sourced to subsidise the initiative for the first six months.
The Campus Safety aspect of the initiative is in collaboration and with the support of the MEMEZA! “Yellow whistle campaign”, which is an anti-gender based violence programme that seeks to improve the safety of the Nelson Mandela University community through the distribution and use of whistles as a practical emergency signal.
The project will launch from the main entrance of the South Campus on Monday the 16 July at 07:30.