Alex drivers have become a menace on the roads which leaves commuters, other motorists and residents victims of errant drivers, even in the safety of their own homes.
The Joburg Metro Police Department, however, has introduced a programme which may be the answer to Alex’s driving chaos. They have established an outreach programme aimed at children which teaches road and traffic safety regulations using a futurist approach which targets their innocent and unpolluted minds.
This in a township barely two-and-a-half square miles but with incessant traffic jams at the centre of robot-controlled intersections, where residents fear crossing roads at designated points.
Stops signs serve no purpose, and the cacophony from continuous hooting distracts from the original purpose. Motorists also need to keep some distance behind taxis as they stop anytime, anywhere and sometimes just for drivers to get change from each other.
The programme hopes to tackle the embedded reckless, negligent and dangerous driving which results in no less than 10 accidents handled weekly by the Alexandra Police Station. Some of the incidents are caused by intoxication while others point to questionable driving skills.
Outlining the programme, Metro officer Itumeleng Buza said, in one instance, police arrested a motorist without a driver’s licence or identity documents. “He was driving on the wrong side and forced other motorists off the road, luckily no one was injured,” Buza said.
She and officers Ayanda Mbewu and Nomsa Ndaba spent time at Riverpark Park Library during the school holidays teaching 100 children traffic rules and regulations and other life skills. In keeping with the isiZulu idiom, isikhumba sigoqwa sisemanzi (impart basic skills at infancy), Buza said teaching children the fundamentals fo driving is a proactive strategy with present and future benefits.
“They will gain unforgettable knowledge, know when, how and where to cross the road. They will know how to react to imminent danger from other motorists and pedestrians.”
Buza said many drivers were unaware of the difference between stopping and yielding at an intersection and the application of the right of way at a four-way intersection. “They don’t obey speed signs, overtake on solid white lines, do not use indicators and are unconcerned of the danger of ferrying passengers in unroadworthy vehicles on public roads.”
Buza hopes the children, who were issued with certificates, to use the experience to be better and law-abiding drivers, unlike their elders.
Also, they were taught drills and marching, which she said inculcate discipline, fitness, teamwork and listening skills, self-esteem and self-awareness.
