October 8, 2007
By George Matlala
IT is a busy Friday morning at the corner of Bree and Sauer streets in downtown Johannesburg – hawkers flog their wares, taxis hoot, and pedestrians jostle to cross the intersection.
Into the noisy mix arrives a group of workers from the Johannesburg Roads Agency and the City's transport department, led by the member of the mayoral committee for transport, Rehana Moosajee. Accompanied by three street mimes and a mascot, the group is here to spread the message of road safety and to encourage people to share the road with other users.
Encouraging people to be thoughful on the roads: the mayoral committee member for transport, Rehana Moosajee, and the City's road safety mascot
The campaign, on Friday, 5 October, was one of a series of activities the City has set up to observe Public Transport Month; during the month, people are encouraged to use public transport.
Hostile motorists, many driving without fastening their seatbelts, greeted the group. "It is scary to see the number of drivers without their seatbelts," said a gravely concerned Moosajee, adding that some public transport operators were arrogant.
Mimes and metro police helped the pedestrians to cross the road and encouraged motorists to wear their seatbelts. "Mimes bring an element of fun into the safety message," she noted.
Pamphlets about pedestrian safety were also handed out. Moosajee said pedestrians were vulnerable on the roads, but noted that they were also in the wrong for not crossing at zebra crossings.
"Pedestrians are equally deviant; they don't cross on demarcated lines."
The brightly dressed transport mascot, Pedestrian Angel, was also out and about spreading the road safety message, helping people cross the road, and handing out pamphlets.
It was designed to help the transport department to teach safety to disadvantaged communities, she said.
Speaking after the campaign, Moosajee reiterated that "a lot" still had to be done to educate people about road safety. Fastening seatbelts was a grave concern. "We need to start explaining why people should wear their seatbelts."
They should hit the same intersection repeatedly until people understood the messages, she added.
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