Barry Streek
The government programme of distributing 15 000 bicycles called Shova Lula (pedal easy) is directed at rural communities where many people experience transportation problems on a daily basis either as kids going to school or adults going to work.
News about the programme emerged during Minister of Transport Dullah Omar’s response to a question tabled in Parliament by the Democratic Alliance’s Stuart Farrow.
Omar said users will have to contribute R50 to R500 for a bicycle package but the price will be dependent on income levels of an area, whether it is a used or new bike, the condition of the used bicycle and whether the user is a scholar or not.
”Initially we will be targeting areas with light traffic volumes such as rural nodes and towns as well as peri-urban township areas,” Omar said.
The sites of Shova Lula container shops would be selected in partnership with the provinces and local authorities and would be chosen in line with their potential to deliver to low-income users, particularly scholars and youth who walk long distances, but all low-income households in a chosen area will have access to affordable used or new bicycles.
A snap survey conducted in KwaZulu-Natal indicates that a user contribution of around R100 to R150 for a basic used bicycle is affordable.
”The local Shova Lula community shop will offer a riding and maintenance
skills course as part of the bicycle package. In addition, we will encourage provincial road safety divisions to support the programme with additional safety training.”
The programme will also work with local schools to implement an outcomes-based syllabus called Edubike that teaches life skills through bicycle-related material.
”As our medium-term goal we plan to encourage the construction of bicycle and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure in disadvantaged areas. To this effect, my department is funding a cycle path demonstration project in Ivory Park township in Midrand, Johannesburg.
Omar said his department is also planning to implement bicycle-related infrastructure in Atteridgeville, Tsh-wane and Alexandra, Johannesburg.
Omar said his department has also solicited assistance from the Netherlands government ”to provide a team of Dutch bicycle infrastructure experts to work with local experts in developing a toolkit of infrastructure and safety-related design options that can be applicable to the South African context”.