27 February 2019
Statement issued by Stellenbosch University
Evening Shuttle at Stellenbosch University – the facts
The Stellenbosch University (SU) evening shuttle is a service that provides after hours transport to students from the Stellenbosch campus to their homes, up to a radius of 6 km from the Neelsie Student Centre. The evening shuttle service has come under the spotlight for discussion and this official SU statement clarifies the facts as to how the SU evening shuttle is currently working, the rationale for the service and the fiscal processes required to make this a sustainable service.
The implementation date of the evening shuttle service is postponed by one week from 1 March until 8 March 2019 to allow for consultation with the regular users of the evening shuttles, and for more applications for shuttle concessions to be processed in time.
Stellenbosch University is committed to structuring its services to students in an equitable way so that all students are supported and services are financially sustainable. We understand that some students are under financial pressure and therefore the fee structure of this SU evening shuttle is structured so that financially needy students are fully supported. The day shuttle service remains available free of charge to all students.
Stellenbosch University's values include equity and the SU evening shuttle is structured to reflect this value: Students who are financially needy receive a concession and thus do not need to pay for this service. This concession applies to students receiving NSFAS support and students in the 'missing middle' who receive SU financial aid (i.e. students who are assessed to have a joint annual household income of R600 000 or below). Students who need to use the SU evening shuttle but do not fall in these categories can make a special application for a concession and will also be considered for support.
In accordance with a decision taken by the Rectorate on the recommendation of the SU Finance Committee, a service fee equivalent to a taxi tariff of R9 will be levied from 2019 only to students who are not in the NSFAS or the 'missing middle' group, as well as those students who do not make application to receive a special concession. This means that students who are able to pay for this service will be expected to pay, and those who are financially needy and vulnerable will not need to pay for the SU evening shuttle. This fair and equitable payment structure reflects SU's value of equity.
This SU evening shuttle service is provided in collaboration with taxi operators and private service providers in support of local entrepreneurs and in support of our larger Stellenbosch community. The amount of R9,00 equals the private taxi tariff.
Who qualifies for a shuttle concession?
Students who receive NSFAS and SU bursaries and students with financial difficulties are eligible for the shuttle concession. Students from households with a joint income of less than R600 000 per year ('missing middle'), who already qualify for other forms of SU financial aid, are included in this group.
- Students who receive NSFAS funding do not pay for the service and get a trip allowance loaded onto their shuttle trip account system/student card.
- Students who are assessed to have a joint household income of R600 000 or less do not pay for the service and get a trip allowance loaded onto their shuttle trip account/student card.
- Students who fall outside of these two groups and feel that they need support to utilise the night shuttle will be able to apply for concession via email (ssg@sun.ac.za) at the Centre for Student Communities (Division Student Affairs). Each application is considered on merit.
- The rest of the students who can pay for this service can make payment per EFT or via SU cashiers as outlined on the SU night shuttle website.
- International students from SADC countries can use the SU evening shuttle service with concession.
How do I go about to apply and/or register for this concession?
- Book the trip online as per SU night shuttle site. See the link for the online booking below.
- If you are registered as NSFAS or SU Bursary recipient (joint household of R600 000 or less) you will be able to book the trip without payment.
- If you fall outside this group but experience financial stress, send an email to Mr Grant Williams at ssg@sun.ac.za and include your name and student number and the required number of trips you need and on which route.
- Once it is confirmed that you qualify for a concession, you will be contacted and the trip allocation will be credited onto your student card.
- The concession is not transferrable and cannot be utilised for other (transport) options; the balance will revert back to original sponsor cost centre.
- Students need to book for trips on the night shuttle service so that SU can plan and ensure proper functioning of the service; bookings are done on the night shuttle website.
- Booking a trip can be done online, via desktop or mobile device, or in person up to the hour of the shuttle's departure, provided that the shuttle has not yet left; cancellations need to be made at least an half an hour prior to departure to enable the shuttle to offer the seat to other students.
- The evening shuttle leaves on the hour from 6pm (18:00) until 2am (02:00) from the Neelsie Student Centre.
If I do not qualify for this concession?
EFT or cash payments at SU cashiers with:
- student number as reference
- receipt 3206
- cost centre/account number B235/5591
Unfortunately, the SU night shuttle service cannot be free to everybody in the long term, because that would imply that some of the student fees of users who have no reasonable chance to use the night shuttle to their homes nearby Stellenbosch campus (the majority of SU students), pay for the few hundred students who do need the service. The introduction of a fee system, albeit via full concessions for the groups outlined above, implements the principle of "user pay", which brings fiscal discipline to the use of the service. It is the university's obligation to ensure the long-term sustainability of all SU services and the user-pay principle is an integral part of exercising that responsibility. In addition, the fee addresses the concerns of taxi and private transport operators that they cannot compete with a fee-free service. The latter has a negative impact on relations with our community as well as on the establishment and expansion of public transport services.
For enquiries regarding concession: Grant Williams, ssg@sun.ac.za
For enquiries regarding booking : Wendy Robyn, wrobyn@sun.ac.za / 021 808 9071
Hierdie kennisgewing sal later vandag in Afrikaans op die US se webtuiste beskikbaar wees.
