Cycle safety awareness is gaining momentum in South Africa as the Pedal Power Association, South Africa’s largest cycling organisation, rolls out a series of rides across the country in the build-up to the Cape Town Cycle Tour.
The Pretoria South Lions Club, assisted by cycling enthusiasts and sponsors from Pretoria East and surrounds, is hosting the first commuter cycle safety awareness day in Pretoria East at Rosemary Hill on Sunday 16 February in collaboration with the Pedal Power Association (PPA), South Africa’s largest cycling organisation who looks after the interests of all cyclists on our roads. The awareness day will be dedicated to creating awareness for a safe cycling environment for commuting cyclists in Pretoria East who travel to work, school, and studies daily.
“It is our intention to draw the local communities in the area closer to each other, create friendships, identify talent, grow the sport, create employment as well as to improve the self- image of commuters. The project was initiated after a suggestion by a social cyclist, Giel Bekker, on a popular Facebook page named PEMBI(Pretoria East Mountain Bike) which is followed by over 7000 avid cyclists. Giel and I met, established a committee and ran with it” explains Clint Guthrie, Club Administrator at Pretoria South Lions Club.
“Over the period of four years, we have hosted more than 24 activations distributing over 3500 reflective vests, 500 helmets and 700 bicycle lights in the Pretoria, and Johannesburg and George area.
The Port Elizabeth ride will start from the Grassroof Farm Stall and Restaurant on Saturday 22 February at 7h00. The PPA calls on all riders to get on their bicycles and join this peaceful civic action. After the ride, the PPA will hand over a letter to the MCC Safety and Security of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality outlining their concerns and providing recommendations to improve the safety of cyclists in and around PE.
“We have during the past few years noticed a growing intolerance between motorists and cyclists coupled with an increasing trend of lawlessness amongst road users which threatens the safety of cyclists in PE,” says chairman of the PPA, Rens Rezelman. According to local PPA representative Leon Claasen, there is a real concern as the number of accidents involving motor vehicles and cyclists has increased resulting in serious and fatal injuries of cyclists.
“Cyclists are taxpayers, contributing members of the community and family members so each serious injury or death is an unnecessary one, which we believe can be avoided,” explains Rezelman.
“We are asking motorists and cyclists alike to modify their behaviour and do the right thing by obeying the rules of the road,” Rezelman says. “Behaviour shift is the only sustainable and cost-effective way to make the roads safer. When the traffic laws are broken, we need a zero-tolerance approach from the authorities.”
The PPA will also conduct reflective bib handouts in Walmer Estate and Motherwell in conjunction with the RAF whose generous sponsorship allows us to keep cyclists visible and safe on the roads and have arranged sticker handouts to motorists at busy intersections.
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