Cape Town - At a time when affordable, safe and sustainable public transport is difficult to find in Cape Town, Transport and Public Works MEC Daylin Mitchell handed over 20 bicycles to the Baptist Church in Grassy Park on Wednesday morning as a successful recipient of the department’s Provincial Sustainable Transport Programme (PSTP).
The bicycles would be based at the church and were set to be used by various schools and community-based organisations in the area to facilitate a sustainable transport system for youngsters and the community in Grassy Park.
Mitchell said another 20 bicycles would be handed out over the next two weeks to further support the development and implementation of sustainable transport systems.
Bearfish Strategic Services public health specialist Joanne Korrigall said their organisation worked with the department to manage their inter-sectoral hot spot response for Covid-19 and this bicycle project was one of the projects they were involved in, which came about through recognising there was a need beyond just pure health.
Korrigall said the handover yesterday was the third round of bicycles that had been given out to qualifying community organisations and there was currently a total of 440 bicycles given.
“The PSTP is particularly focused on improving the conditions for walking and cycling and public transport facilities. Within the Western Cape non-metro areas, 35% of people walk to work as their primary mode of transport, and 46% of learners walk to school.
“Car ownership is usually limited to higher income brackets and therefore 50% to 72% of people rely on non-motorised transport (NMT), lifts or public transport,” said Mitchell.
The project was made possible through partnership with the Bicycle Consortium which consisted of the Qhubeka Charity, Pedal Power Association and Bicycling Empowerment Network (Ben) Bikes.
Perivale Primary School principal Zaheer Jacobs said: “Our learners will be able to benefit (from use of the bicycles) through physical education, partnering up with community based projects and they will gain substantially by being physically involved in the community.”
Pastor Wayne Barros said they had a great partnership in their area and desired to involve the community in future projects including a basketball, soccer and hockey facility for the betterment of the local community and its youth.