Free State Business 2017 edition

FOCUS
The IPTN – an artist’s impression of an open
station in Mangaung.
The Executive Mayor Cllr Olly Mlamleli patches
a pothole in Freedom Square after handing out
roadworks machinery.
Integrated Public
Transport Network
Subsequent to numerous consultations
with the public and
taxi associations in Mangaung,
the city formally introduced
the Integrated Public Transport
Network (IPTN) to residents
of the city and stakeholders
in October 2016 as part of
Transport Month, which is observed
nationally. This initiative
was formalised by the signing of
a Memorandum of Agreement
(MoA) with the transport industry
in Bloemfontein.
The IPTN will ensure the provision
of an efficient, reliable, safe
and affordable public transport
system for residents of Mangaung.
Upon completion, the IPTN is
envisaged to change the face of
public commuting in Mangaung,
and ultimately the economic
potential of the province. The firstphase
corridor along the Maphisa
Route has been completed and
the city will move with speed to
ensure that other phases of the
IPT Network are implemented.
Mangaung has grown as a city, substantially in land mass – and
as such, the challenges of mobility within the metropole need to be
attended to as a matter of urgency. Reliable public transport is a foundation
for our economy, and as this service expands, we will increasingly
be able to attract potential investors, which will in turn create additional
economic opportunities for our people.
Among other achievements, the city of Mangaung garnered a number
of PMR.Africa awards in October 2016, as a result of surveys conducted
annually across the province. The ratings are based on the perceptions
of 110 CEOs, company directors, senior employees and officials in the
private sector, as well as the local and provincial government sector.
Mangaung was the highest-rated municipality in the province in
the following categories, receiving the Diamond Arrow for:
• Most effective communication and marketing strategies in the
Free State province
• Municipalities doing the most for social upliftment
• Municipalities doing the most to attract foreign/international
investment
• Municipalities doing the most to attract local investment
• Municipalities doing the most to attract tourism
• Municipalities doing the most for job creation
• Municipalities doing the most to fight crime
• Municipalities doing the most to clean the environment
To stay up to date with news and activities around Mangaung,
please see: www.mangaung.co.za or visit our Facebook pages:
Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality and Mayor’s Page: Executive
Mayor Olly Mlamleli. Residents can contact us via the call centre:
0800 111 300.
27 FREE STATE BUSINESS 2017