SmartCape Digital access has often previously been out of reach for a number of communities. As a caring and inclusive city, the City of Cape Town understands the importance of digital connectivity as a tool for economic and social upliftment. The City’s SmartCape project has been in place for a number of years and has this year, as a WDC2014 project, made significant strides. To date we have provided more than 300 000 users with free access to computer and internet facilities at City libraries. A SmartCape corner has been introduced in each of the more than 100 libraries across the city. In some areas, the facility is available at community centres, which reflects the programme’s adaptability to fit the particular community needs by making use of existing infrastructure. The project has been so effective that the City was presented with the Access to Learning Award by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. We know that the cycle of poverty cannot easily be broken without external support or interventions. Poor computer literacy and a lack of internet access contribute to missed opportunities that prevent many people from achieving their dreams. Registered users are allowed one session per day for a maximum of 45 minutes, unless otherwise arranged with the administrator. The time limit helps to manage the high demand for the facilities, especially after school. The SmartCape initiative has been successful in providing opportunities for scholars doing research for projects, job seekers looking for employment opportunities, entrepreneurs starting up their own ventures and marketing a business, and parents accessing health and wellness information. Digital housing database The City of Cape Town’s online housing database went live this year and qualifying residents can now apply online to be registered. This is a quick, convenient and safe way for our residents who qualify in terms of the subsidy criteria to access this City service – including with a smart phone. Residents can also make use of the City’s free SmartCape internet access at libraries, while our elderly residents can even be helped by their children and grandchildren to access the database online without having to face the challenges of mobility and travel to housing offices. The City, as is also the case with the National Government’s Department of Human Settlements, uses a housing database to ensure the fair and systematic delivery of housing opportunities to qualifying persons who have registered on the database. The accuracy of the information is therefore very important. The database, which is protected, updated and audited, is necessary to prevent queue-jumping and to ensure that the City’s service and housing delivery programmes are not jeopardised by the proliferation of unplanned settlements. By going digital this year, we have ensured that our residents have a convenient way of ensuring that they qualify for a housing opportunity. e-billing The e-mailing of invoices has been an ongoing exercise and the number of customers requesting that their municipal invoices be e-mailed to them has steadily increased in 2014 – quite appropriate, given that e-services is a WDC2014 project. Comparative averages indicate that more customers registered for e-billing due to the recent postal strike. This bodes well in respect of the strategic intent which is cost saving in terms of postage, printing and reducing the City’s carbon footprint. The number of invoices being e-billed is now 82 000. The number of E-services registrations is 19 500. The number of invoices billed by the City on a monthly basis is approximately one million. Residents are encouraged to make use of the convenient e-mailing and e-services option available to them by simply logging on to capetown.gov.za and clicking on the e-services icon to register for these services. Rates Office in a mall Earlier this year, the Promenade Shopping Mall, situated in the fast-growing area of Mitchells Plain, was chosen as the pilot site for the first City of Cape Town Customer Care office to be located in a shopping centre and which is open for the extended hours that the shopping centre is open, including weekends and public holidays. This is another WDC2014 project. This initiative looks at improving service delivery and enabling opportunities for our residents. We are extremely proud of this project, which we believe will make a tangible difference in the lives of the Mitchells Plain community. The City’s Promenade Mall office forms part of our strategy to provide for the needs of our communities by having accessible and convenient customer care offices, which include rates and motor vehicle registration offices that are open for business longer than the usual times of between 08:00 to 15:00. This is one of the ways that we are making progress possible, together. The City expects that it will be able to serve approximately 500 customers per day at its mall office. At this new office, which is a first for the Western Cape, customers will be able to, amongst other things, pay municipal accounts, including traffic fines, pay motor vehicle registrations and renew motor vehicle licences, make debt management arrangements for the payment of municipal account arrears and apply for indigent grants and rates rebates By making our customer care services more convenient and accessible to our residents, we are also increasing the culture of payment, which ensures that we build a financially sustainable city for our future generations. TCT app Presenting the commuter with all the available scheduled public transport options and those in private vehicles with various routes for reaching their destinations, the new TCT app has made it significantly easier for residents and visitors to move around the city. The development of this app is indicative of the City’s commitment to cutting-edge technological solutions in times of increasing urbanisation where mobility is crucial if we are to realise our full potential. It also creates a platform for the City and the residents to communicate with one another about transport-related issues. The system maps of all the scheduled public transport services across the city – from the MyCiTi bus service, to Metrorail and the Golden Arrow Bus Service (GABS) – are available on the app. These maps specify each service provider’s routes, stations and stops. The TCT app will enable those using private transport to plan their journeys by offering different route options – indicating the distance to the destination, the estimated travel time, and any matters of concern along the route such as accidents, roadworks, detours, and traffic delays. Further to the convenient journey planning function, the TCT app will enable users to report transport-related matters such as potholes, faulty traffic lights, flooding, accidents and bad driver behaviour directly to the City. The exact location can be easily recorded if the GPS is on and the user will have the option of attaching a photo with the message to the City. Through this app, users will also have immediate access to notifications about bus and train delays; service interruptions; accidents; roadworks; road closures; or any other transport-related issue that may have an impact on their journey.
Posted on: Thu, 18 Dec 2014 09:24:34 +0000
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