New road safety centre launched in Strandfontein

Grade 2 Hillside Primary School pupils enjoyed following the rules of the road at the launch of the Road Safety Learner Centre in Strandfontein on Friday March 15.

The City of Cape Town’s Safety and Security and Urban Mobility directorates launched the centre with the pupils, Sub-council 17 chairperson Elton Jansen and Ward 81 councillor Ashley Potts.

Mr Jansen said it’s important to educate not only the children but also the residents and road users to be safe on the roads.

“This centre will help instil road safety consciousness at a young age, such as using safety belts, not using cellphones while driving, and driving within the speed limit. Over the last few months we’ve seen people lose their lives on the roads but if we abide by the rules we can save lives,” he said.

Mr Potts said it’s exciting to be launching this initiative. “Now that it’s launched I’m excited to get children and adults to the centre,” he said.

The Traffic Department’s officers demonstrated the rules of the road to the Grade 2 pupils with their plastic bicycles on the miniature road constructed from reclaimed asphalt.

The initiative was facilitated by the South African Road Federation (SARF) - a non-profit organisation representing a large number of groups with an interest in roads and transport.

SARF members give their time to many initiatives, including traffic safety matters, education and training in road transport, to name a few, said Moegamat Adams, chairman of the South African Road Federation of the Western Cape.

Campaigning the government on traffic safety and transport related issues is one of their primary functions which they carry out at both national and regional levels, said Mr Adams.

The City’s Mayoral committee member for urban mobility, Rob Quintas said: “If we can instil good driver habits and awareness of road safety rules in our young people, then I am certain that in 10 years from now, we will have a new kind of driver, a better type of driver.”

The facility will be maintained by the City’s Roads Infrastructure Management department and operated by the Traffic Service’s Road Safety Education Unit.

The unit regulates traffic at pedestrians, educates pupils on road safety rules, and coach scholar patrols at schools and ECDs, to name a few, said Mr Quintas.

Staff at the centre will teach children, road signals, how to cross the road safely, expounding on real life situations on the roads, he said.

Between July 1, 2022 and May 31 last year, the Road Safety Education Unit presented 245 classroom lectures to 10 148 children at 29 schools and ECDs in Mitchell’s Plain, he said.

MEC for Mobility, Ricardo MacKenzie said the mission is for children to get to school safely.

“We continue to invest, help and develop the community of Mitchell’s Plain but more importantly to help our children. Last year there was a crash that took the lives of six children,” he said (“Five pupils killed in crash” Plainsman May 30 and “Horror bakkie crash claims sixth child” Plainsman July 12).

“This centre will help enable road safety. Every school in Mitchell’s Plain can make use of the facility to help children understand the rules of the road. It’s not just about enforcement but it must be about education and awareness,” said Mr MacKenzie.

Mayoral committee member for safety and security, JP Smith, said we will not win the battle for safer roads with enforcement alone.

“Every month the City issues 260 000 traffic fines and it’s debatable whether we’re able to improve road safety for the better. We have to match that with education,” he said.

Mr Smith said young people will have experience on how to use the roads safely, breaking bad habits. “Most of the time children are learning how to use a car by sitting in the back seat. To all the safety education officials, thank you for teaching and working to help protect our people. May we learn from our mistakes and not repeat them.”

Principals and schools can liaise with Officer Morriat Ngesimani who visits and trains schools. For more information on a booking email them on traffic.services@capetown.gov.za.