Publications
When Chris King, then a computer science student at the University of Cape Town, missed a test because the Jammie Shuttle (a public transport system used by UCT students) didn’t show up, a solution for South Africa’s public transport was born. Chris and his childhood friend Devin de Vries, then also a student at UCT, decided to design an app that could not only help commuters find the closest transport option, but could also tell them what option would be departing when.
After a trial run in the Western Cape, the app, called FindMyWay, is launching countrywide today and contains major bus and other public transport route information. The app offers transport information for 15 different transport providers in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, East London and Port Elizabeth. You can decide whether you’d like the app to search according to the closest transport system or according to the preferred system, for example bus versus train. It can be downloaded on all major mobile platforms, including BlackBerry, Nokia, Android, iPhone and Windows Phone.
Chris and Devin say they have more planned for the app. “Going forward we’ll be able to alert users about delays or changes in schedules,” says Devin, who was a student in business science information systems. While the app already contains a range of alternative options, for example the City Sightseeing bus in Cape Town, as well as the departure times for the ferry to Robben Island, the pair say they hope to add taxi routes in future in order for the app to go beyond mainline transport. “All transport operators currently not on the app are invited to contact us in order to make their information available to the public,” he added. “People will be able to explore more, reduce their carbon footprint, and be more in touch with their city.”
The app can be found at findmyway.mobi or in your app store as FindMyWay.
-Dalena Theron
