Polokwane Public Transport System soon to be named

The process to find a name for the Polokwane Integrated Rapid Public Transport System (PIRPTS) is making progress and the name should be announced during the city’s 130 years celebrations in July.
According to Mantlako Sebaka, Head of Marketing, Communications and Stakeholder Relations in the Transport Department of the municipality, the system naming process has been launched and a clarion call was made to residents to demonstrate full support and ownership of the system through participation.
“The process commenced on 1 April and ran until 30 April. A free voting SMS line *120*636# was used by residents as one of the tools in the system naming campaign,” Sebaka informed.
Sebaka said that the system naming process gained momentum during the month of April with the #E bitšwang mara campaign which saw over 9 000 names being nominated through the SMS line. Council thereafter approved five names that have complied with the set criteria.
The pillars that informed the final choice of a name for the system were that it should resonate well with the general population, must be unique to Polokwane, must be easy to pronounce and to remember. Finally, it should represent the IRPTS brand and should be credible and unique.
The names were submitted to the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) and when approved, Council will provide three names for final voting by the public.
Once chosen, the name will be utilised in all references to the system and will be added to the branding of the public transport service.

Story: BARRY VILJOEN
>>barryv.observer@gmail.com

Photo: Polokwane municipal councillors Hluphi Chauke, Johannes Ralefatane and Johan Willemse eagerly anticipate the announcement of the name of the Polokwane Integrated Public Transport System. Entries have closed and all that remains is for the winning name to be announced.