UCT has its own bus service called the UCT Shuttle. This, along with a range of public and private transport options, will help you get around campus and the city.
Buses
- The UCT Shuttle service is available to students and staff (if you show your staff or student card) and runs weekdays, weekends and holidays both during term time and over vacations. It includes a late-night service.
View route maps and timetables on the staff and students sites. - Golden Arrow buses are easily accessible from Main Road, Rondebosch, and the UCT Shuttle stops in Claremont and Mowbray.
View fares, timetables and routes. - MyCiTi integrates with the UCT Shuttle at the Gardens station in Buitenkant Street. From here you can travel to:
- the city centre
- Vredehoek
- Oranjezicht
- Salt River
- Woodstock
- Table View
- Century City
- the West Coast
- Khayelitsha
- Mitchells Plain
- Llandudno
- Hout Bay.
View routes of the feeder services in these areas.
Minibus taxis
Minibus taxis pick up and drop off passengers along virtually every main route in the city. The Mowbray and Claremont UCT Shuttle stops are a few steps away from minibus taxi hubs, and there are multiple stops near some UCT residences.
Trains
Cape Town’s rail service fans out across the city. The southern line stops at Mowbray, Observatory, Rosebank and Rondebosch stations – all within walking distance of UCT’s lower, middle and upper campuses.
View fare details and timetables.
Driving in
Staff and students can apply for a parking disk with UCT’s traffic administration.
Disabled parking disks are available through the Disability Service. For more information, visit the staff or students sites.
First-year students aren’t allowed to bring cars on to campus, but you can apply to park at Rhodes Memorial, which is just a short walk away.
Carpooling
The Ridelink carpooling system tries to decrease single-person car usage at UCT. Run through Vula, the system helps students and staff find lifts to campus. Once your details are on the database, the system will find people with matching schedules at the click of a button. Find out more about Ridelink.
Carpooling travellers can use the P4 carpool parking lot on upper campus if 3 or more student or staff cards are swiped at the boom within 10 seconds of the first swipe. The car must have a valid UCT parking disc.
Motorbikes, scooters and bicycles
First-years are allowed to bring motorbikes or scooters onto campus as long as they buy the correct parking disc from traffic administration.
UCT’s cycle routes encourage non-motorised access to campus. The routes follow paths that are the safest and the easiest to cycle.
Bike parking racks, where bikes can be securely locked, have been installed around the campus, especially at transport hubs.
Your own two feet
It’s easiest to get around UCT on foot. If you’re on campus after dark, walk in a group and stick to the official foot routes – they have emergency points so that you can call Campus Protection Services (CPS) if you need help.
You can also call CPS on 021 650 2222 for an escort within UCT premises.
Transport & getting around
Cape Town is a big city with many transport options for getting to UCT. These include the UCT Jammie shuttle, taxi buses and more costly private transport options.
Once on campus, it’s easiest to move around on foot. The cycle routes on campus also encourage non-motorised transport. Bikes can be securely locked to bike parking racks available around campus, especially at transport hubs.
UCT campuses are relatively central, making them easily accessible. However, it is not considered safe to walk alone or after dark.
UCT has gone to great lengths to ensure student safety. Campus Protection Services are on campus 24/7 to boost safety and security. See below for more information on campus safety.
Getting to UCT
Jammie shuttle
The Jammie shuttle is UCT’s own bus service for students and staff with valid student cards. It travels between residences, all UCT campuses and some public bus, train and parking facilities near the university.
It operates seven days a week and during holidays. You can find the routes and timetables here.
Public transport
Cape Town’s bus rapid transit system is called the MyCiti bus. It does not extend to UCT, but it does bring passengers from the Atlantic seaboard, northern suburbs and the Cape Flats to central Cape Town. MyCiti meets with the Jammie shuttle at the Gardens Station on Buitenkant Street.
Golden Arrow buses cover most of Cape Town and extend to Bellville, Durbanville, Elsies River, Hanover Park, Kenilworth, Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plain, Fish Hoek, Parow, Simonstown and Wynberg.
Minibus taxis are also an option as they operate on almost every main road in Cape Town. Although difficult to formalise, TaxiMap can help you to get some idea of routes and fares around Cape Town.
Cape Town’s trains are notoriously unreliable. However, many still utilise this form of transport. The Southern Line stops at Mowbray, Observatory, Rosebank and Rondebosch stations, which are all within walking distance of UCT’s lower, middle and upper campuses.
Private transport
Parking on-campus is limited, and a parking disc is required from UCT administration. Carpooling is encouraged and motorbikes and scooters are allowed when carrying the correct parking disc from administration.
Rideshare platforms like Uber and Bolt are widely used in Cape Town and many drivers are familiar with UCT campuses. You must download the application to your phone and have it linked to a credit card before your first trip.
When using private transport, it’s a good idea to share trip details with a trusted friend or colleague.
Disability Services
UCT ensures fully accessible transport between residences and lectures for disabled students along with a variety of other services.
The Disability Services facilitates the removal of barriers facing disabled students and staff. It is part of UCT’s commitment to supporting its disabled students, so they experience full, independent and effective university life.