Victor Uwah,student from the University of Free State became a local hero upon establishing Falkon after he realized that external companies were transporting students but did not really understand the needs of students. He collaborated with local meter taxis to start an affordable and accessible shuttle service for students.
Uwah also wanted to make sure that the students were safe and wanted to provide a service which would be convenient for the students who needed to run errands and shop for necessities. To use the service, pay as little as R30 to be transported around selected stores around Bloemfontein. Falkon users are allocated two hours to do their shopping and are taken back home with no additional charges.
Uwah experienced challenges to obtain funding for the business as well as having to get approval from the local taxi association to operate this service. Falkon was accepted into the taxi association because the set price for the service was not going to interfere with meter taxi profits.
He is also in the process of organizing for tills in the various stores to be specifically allocated for the student service. This means students can avoid the long, month-end grocery store queues and maximize their two-hour shopping experience.
The Food Sciences student has also created a Facebook group where students who are interested in making use of Falkon can keep up with current and possible new services, and where they can give feedback on their experiences.
