The University of Johannesburg (UJ) has on Wednesday become the first ever university in South Africa to unveil electric vehicle (EV) buses which has already begun ferrying students between various campuses.
The higher institution said the buses are its latest innovation in its ongoing efforts at going green and reducing carbon emissions, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
UN Sustainable Development Goal 11 defines green cities as those that are dedicated to achieving environmental, social, and economic sustainability, with a focus on minimising inputs of energy, water, and food, and drastically reducing waste, heat output, and pollution. UJ has, in recent years, made strategic moves to improve its sustainability footprint.
For added safety, it said the buses are fitted with closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras and stop buttons.
The stop buttons make communication with operators easier, as passengers can draw the driver’s attention without being intrusive when approaching their destination. Adding to the high-tech design of the buses is that they are equipped with USB charging ports so that passengers can keep their gadgets running while onboard, for convenience.
Special Projects advisor Professor Andre Nel explained the process that led to this project coming to fruition.
“It started more than 18 months ago, as part of our drive to reduce our carbon footprint at UJ. We’ve always had a strong focus on sustainability issues. After implementing large numbers of solar panels, one of the next questions was how can we further make UJ sustainable? After some research, the obvious answer was how we were going to cut our carbon emissions in one area, and that area was transport. Transport makes up about four-and-a-half percent of UJ’s footprint and reducing that in any way is something we desired”.
Senior Executive Director: of University Relations, Student Affairs and UJ Sport, Dr Nolitha Vukuza said her experience is quite unprecedented because she has never been on an electric bus before.
“This is a day of celebration… We keep on talking about the fourth industrial revolution, and today it’s all about 4IR in action. I am also happy that the new VC (Vice-Chancellor and Principal Designate, Professor Letlhokwa Mpedi) has been talking about 4IR for societal impact. What a way to make it impactful,” she added.
Brimming with excitement at seeing the University’s vision come to life, Vice-Chancellor and Principal (designate) Professor Letlhokwa said the buses are an example of 4IR in action.
“They are part of a legacy that we want to leave for future generations. As a testament to our position as a leader, we are the first university to make use of EV buses for commercial purposes.”
He added that the buses are a tangible contribution towards achieving that goal. They are also a physical manifestation of our commitment towards the goal of being a sustainable institution that strives to implement improvements and actions across all spheres of its campus activities.
“We firmly believe that sustainable development is a long-term commitment. We aim to contribute to sustainability by reducing our environmental footprint while enhancing our contributions to the social and economic development of South Africa,” concluded Mpedi.
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