Minister Carlisle Launches Pedestrian Safety Week

The Department of Transport and Public Works has set aside R3 million in this current financial year to focus on a high intensity pilot pedestrian safety project. The project will focus on two of the identified high-risk areas where high pedestrian deaths have been recorded, namely Lansdowne Road and Nekkies in Knysna.

Lessons learnt from these two projects will be rolled out to the rest of the Province.

As part of the UN Global Road Safety Week (6-12 May 2013) dedicated to pedestrian safety, Robin Carlisle, Minister of Transport and Public Works, participated in pedestrian safety demonstrations on 6 May 2013 at Imbasa Primary School and Dr Nelson Mandela High School in Phillipi.

Both schools are situated just off the very busy Lansdowne Road.

“In the Western Cape, the leading class of fatalities among road users are pedestrians, accounting for nearly half of the total road deaths recorded in the Province. What we also know is that, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), road deaths are now the leading cause of premature deaths among young people aged 15 to 29 and rank high among the leading causes of deaths globally. A sobering reality for us all,” said Minister Carlisle.

As part of the launch, road safety demonstrations were conducted at Imbasa Primary School teaching learners to:

• Make use of designated pedestrian crossings.
• Be alert and careful when crossing roads, particularly intersections as busy as those on Lansdowne and New Eisleben roads.

The learners were also provided with reflective vests that will make them more visible to motorists as mornings begin to stay darker for longer.

“Lansdowne Road has been identified as one of the Province’s hazardous locations (HAZLOC) for pedestrians, meaning that a high number of pedestrian deaths are recorded on this very long and busy stretch of road.

“My Department (Transport and Public Works) will set aside R3 million in this financial year for focused interventions at these identified hazardous locations. Interventions include:

• Installing and/or upgrading crosswalks, sidewalks, raised medians, road signs, lighting and signals.
• Employing “speed calming” measures such as speed bumps and rubble strips.
• Restricting or diverting vehicles from pedestrian zones.
• Providing education and training to all road users and the general public through various means.

“Other HAZLOC interventions are to be extended to areas such a Nekkies in Knysna, where high incidents of pedestrian deaths have also been recorded,” added Minister Carlisle.

Minister Carlisle also participated in a “Long Short Walk” for Road Safety at Dr Nelson Mandela High School along with the learners at the school, who were all issued with reflective vests to increase their visibility when using the roads.