STELLA Pre Primary school pupils learnt a valuable lesson in road safety when staff from eThekwini Transport Authority (eTA) visited the school.
According to Ward 33 councillor Nicole Graham, who facilitated the road safety educational visit to the school, the children were taught about the rules of the road and road safety with some practical instruction in the road outside the school. Pamphlets were also sent home to parents explaining the need for them to accompany their children to school. The children also received crayons and activity books on road safety.
Graham said she had become concerned for the safety of the children who attended the school and who came from surrounding areas such as Kenneth Gardens and Flamingo Court. She said the children walked to school by themselves and had to cross the busy Sphiwe Zuma (Queen Mary) Avenue. “The children usually walk alone or with their siblings. When they see the school some just run over the road. The eThekwini Transport Authority (eTA) doesn't usually teach young children road safety, but made the exception on my request. I am concerned by the fact the children are at risk of being knocked over,” she said.
School principal, Sue Buter, said the intervention was very necessary at the school. “Many underage children rely on their siblings to walk them to school. I have seen children knocked over on Sphiwe Zuma Avenue and on the freeway as they don't have the same perception of distance and speed as adults. I have sent letters to the municipality asking them to install speed bumps and a zebra crossing but am still waiting for a response. Apparently there haven't been enough accidents in the road, which is ridiculous. Why wait for something bad to happen?” she asked.
