Are you good at giving directions? Do you know every square inch of Rio? Do you take pride in your driving skills? If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions, you may well qualify to serve as a transport volunteer for the first Olympic and Paralympic  Games to take place in South America. There are 2,000 openings for drivers, traffic controllers and customer service personnel, and you can sign up by December 15 should you wish to apply.

 “Volunteers will play a very important role in the success of our operations during the Games. They will be responsible for seeing that the athletes, delegates and other people vital to an event arrive at the right place on time,” says Alexandre Varela, Manager of Planning  for the Committee’s Transport Division.

As a basic requirement, one must be able to perform these jobs capably, courteously and with ease. Volunteers will interact directly with spectators and professionals from different countries and cultures, whether to provide directions between venues, control the traffic flow or assist with scheduling the arrival and departure of official vehicles.

Other volunteers will drive vehicles or work behind the scenes for the transport control system, with the job of linking the different venue zones – Barra, Deodoro, Copacabana and Maracanã – to the rest of the city.

Ramilson Santos, a 43-year old marine and resident of Rio for over 20 years, has already applied to be a volunteer. He guarantees that his knowledge of the city will make all the difference in serving as a driver at the Rio 2016 Games.

“Since I have lived here for so long, I know Rio really well. I know how the transport system works and I know how to get from one end of the city to the other.  I think that will be very useful during the event. I already volunteered during the World Military Championships and I really enjoyed the experience, not to mention the fact that I love sports. I really want to participate,” said the retiree.

To be a Rio 2016 volunteer, you need to be 18 years old by February 2016 and available to work during the Olympic and Paraympic Games.Those applying to be a driver must also possess a Category B driver’s licence.

Volunteers will fill more than 500 roles across nine areas: health services, sports, protocol and languages, technology, transport, ceremonies production, press and communications, operational support and customer services.

Find out more on the volunteers website.