City of Cape Town Executive Mayor, Alderman Patricia de Lille, launched the City’s Pedestrian Safety Campaign at Council on 26 September 2013, to commence during Transport Month, October 2013.
This massive drive, which is aligned with the United Nations (UN) Decade of Action on Road Safety, is expected to reach two million of Cape Town’s residents – in line with the administration’s efforts to build a Safe and Caring City.
The UN has declared 2011 to 2020 the Decade of Action for Road Safety, with 2013 dedicated to pedestrian safety. In 2012 a total of 373 pedestrians lost their lives on the city’s roads, according to the Western Cape Government Health Department’s Forensic Pathology Unit.
“This figure represents 57% of the total road traffic fatalities in the city making pedestrians the most vulnerable road users by far.
“Transport Month in Cape Town provides an opportunity to become involved in a campaign that can actually save the lives of friends, family and fellow residents and for us to be alert and be safe.
“For Transport for Cape Town (TCT), this October Transport Month 2013 campaign is the start of a sustained safety partnership between TCT, pedestrians and motorists on the Cape Town transport network,” said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member: Transport for Cape Town, Councillor Brett Herron.
The City has formulated a Road Safety Strategy which focuses the start of this massive campaign under seven goals, namely:
1. Road safety planning and performance assessment: for example where TCT will critically assess intersections to ascertain how pedestrian-friendly they are and introduce changes where possible.
2. Effective communication with road users: for instance by using freeway notice boards to enable motorists to interact with their road network more safely.
3. Educated road users: for example by finding innovative ways of bringing about positive behavioural changes in pedestrians and drivers.
4. Safe road user behaviour: for example by emphasising the importance of the shared responsibility of TCT and road users.
5. Safe road infrastructure: for example by building a city environment and infrastructure that is designed to meet the needs of pedestrians.
6. Safe vehicles: for instance where the benefits of pre-vacation vehicle safety checks are advertised.
7. Good road safety information and intelligence: to prevent people from having to go through the trauma of searching hospitals and morgues for loved ones.
The campaign will officially commence with Councillor Herron’s first school visit, to Erica Primary in Belhar, on 4 October 2013 and conclude when he accompanies Mayor De Lille on the final school visit on 29 October to Table View Primary School.
The Pedestrian Safety Campaign, which focuses on pedestrians and drivers alike, will convey the pedestrian safety message through:
1. School visits by the Executive Mayor, Mayoral Committee Member and other City leaders to Grade R to Grade 3 learners.
2. TCT’s distribution of marketing material to a representative cross-section of Cape Town schools.
3. Radio and community newspaper advertisements that will reach in the region of two million Capetonians.
4. Capetonians providing their thoughts on pedestrian safety on the City website, which will be used to jointly develop a Pedestrian Charter to which TCT, pedestrians and drivers alike will subscribe.
5. Media statements – one per week – creating awareness around the following four potentially lifesaving pedestrian safety messages:
• Look right, look left, look right again;
• Pedestrian crossings;
• The ‘green man’;
• No pedestrians on highways;
6. Posters to be displayed at Council offices, public libraries, clinics, hospitals and other public buildings.
7. Licence disc holders to be available at all City payment offices and licensing centres for the month of October.
More details on media opportunities will follow.
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Issued by: Integrated Strategic Communication and Branding Department, City of Cape Town
Media enquiries: Councillor Brett Herron, Mayoral Committee Member: Transport for Cape Town, City of Cape Town, Tel: 021 400 1298 or Cell: 082 518 3264, Email: brett.herron@capetown.gov.za