Barry Streek
A campaign to popularise the use of bicycles in South Africa, including the construction of cycle paths in urban areas, is to be launched next year by the Department of Transport despite the dangers to cyclists on the country’s roads.
Minister of Transport Abdullah Omar says the National Bicycle Transport Demonstration Programme would be launched in every province in the first half of next year, initially targeting rural areas and medium-sized towns.
“We have identified road-user safety as a significant challenge in promoting bicycle transport,” he said in reply to a question tabled in the National Assembly by Keppies Niemanm (Democratic Alliance).
As part of the programme the department intended users and potential users of bicycles in safe cycling techniques and also to conduct an infrastructure safety review.
“Participating provinces and local authorities will be encouraged to improve infrastructure safety levels, especially through low-cost measures such as additional signage, traffic calming, grading of gravel paths and stricter enforcement of the legal speed limits in residential areas.”
Omar says it will not be possible to turn the situation around overnight, but through the programme “we want to make a start to show that there is significant short-term potential for bicycle transport in rural areas and smaller towns where traffic volumes are low”.
Omar said urban areas will have to include well-designed bicycle paths and crossings as part of the measures to improve safety.
The safety of all road users remained top of his department’s agenda but it was “fully aware that safety conditions on our roads are not conducive to the needs of the non-motorised road users, such as pedestrians and cycles”.
The high rate of pedestrian fatalities recorded every year was testimony to this fact but the problem was further compounded by “a culture of non-compliance to speed limits”.
Omar said existing road regulations and signs pose a barrier to those who sometimes prefer to walk or cycle on our streets or roads. Some people prefer to use their cars to transport their children to school rather than arranging for children to use bicycles. Accordingly, if more people use bicycles, this would result in less congestion.
The department plans to partner certain towns and townships in a pilot for the demonstration programme for the wider use of bicycles on roads. The department seeks to draw the experience of the Netherlands in this regard.