Scholar patrol plays an invaluable role in promoting road safety and mitigating the risks learners face crossing roads on their way to and from school.
The risks faced by children are highlighted by the number of reported incidents where children were injured and others killed after being hit by vehicles outside some of the schools in Boksburg, allegedly by reckless and negligent drivers.
To avoid such incidents, motorists are encouraged to observe the rules of safety and respect scholar patrol crew, assisting with traffic flow outside schools and ensuring the safety of fellow learners.
Provincial and local transport departments have partnered to train scholar patrollers and provide them with the required equipment. Authorities also
visit these schools to check that the scholar patrols operate according to the prescripts and that the necessary documents are on file at schools.
A few schools approached by the Advertiser indicated that it can be quite chaotic outside their schools as parents and scholar transport often arrive at the same time to drop off or fetch learners.
For example, traffic on Rietfontein Road is often a nightmare when parents drop off or pick up their children at Laerskool Concordia and Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen.
Laerskool Concordia
According to Laerskool Concordia principal Charel Blignaut, traffic at most schools is an issue as schools are expanding.
“At Concordia, traffic is at its worst from 06:45 to 07:15 and, unfortunately, the gates on Rietfontein Road are the only ones open at the moment,” Blignaut said.
He said the school is not allowed to have a scholar patrol as it is too dangerous for learners to direct traffic on the main road.
“However, we’ve been in contact with the EMPD management and their officers assist with the traffic flow when possible.
“We recently expanded our parking area and I even try to regulate traffic myself. Another issue is the box on the pavement by the main gate that is blocking the
view of the road. Thankfully, there have been no incidents at Concordia since I became principal a few years ago,” he added.
Blignaut urged parents to drop off their children as early as possible.
Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen
Principal Leon de Beer said to ease traffic congestion, the school expanded its parking area and urged parents to drop off and pick up their children at safe alternative places, such as the nearby shopping centre.
“Because of Covid-19, only the main gate in Rietfontein Road is open for parents. However, we allow teachers to use the gate in Sett Street, and that helps a little.
“The safety of our learners is of utmost importance.
“We haven’t made contact with the EMPD. It has always been an issue and I believe there isn’t a better solution. In general, traffic at schools is a problem,” he added.
Parkrand Primary
Residents of Parkrand say some parents of learners in Parkrand Primary School often disregard the rules of the road and cause traffic congestion on the roads surrounding the school in the mornings.
Teacher Nicole Ogilvie, who leads the team of scholar patrollers at the school, said traffic congestion became an issue after the team stopped doing morning shifts due to Covid-19.
Ogilvie said the morning shift will resume once Covid-19 regulations are no longer in place. However, she encourages parents and learners in the school to obey the
road rules and respect the patrollers.
She stated some parents and learners disregard the rules.
“They ignore the crossing point we have set up.”
“I would like to thank the transport drivers, parents, and learners who adhere to our road guidelines. We would appreciate it if the EMPD could send officers regularly. “There are also three teachers, Jeannie Ikking, Kerisa Mohanlal and Ciska Cloete, who work with me, and they are doing a stunning job.”
Parent Asanda Jakavula said traffic is bad around the school in the mornings.
“Something needs to be done.”
Ward 32 councillor Marius de Vos said is pleased that there are scholar patrols controlling traffic in his constituency.
“It’s also important for the EMPD to send point persons to the schools because without a point person the scholar patrollers alone can’t do their duties efficiently.
“If there are any parents who are not adhering to the scholar patrol body at any school, they must be fined,” said de Vos.
Balmoral College
Road safety education goes a long way in strengthening road safety. To ensure the safety of learners, Balmoral College assigned one of its teachers, Thoko Dube, to teach learners about road safety. This include all the dangers on the roads.
At the school, children are taught how to cross the roads and how to interact with traffic safely, including when being dropped off at their final destinations when
travelling to school and back home.
“We have many learners who travel on public transport or walk from the nearby settlement to get to the school and back home. It’s important that we help them understand how to cross a road or navigate traffic.
“Even those who use scholar transport need to be accustomed to the road rules and other safety measures to follow when being dropped off, especially in the school driveway,” said Dube.
Dube pointed out that the safety of children requires concerted efforts from all stakeholders, including the school, drivers, parents and the children themselves.
“We need to work hand in hand to keep the learners safe on the roads. Drivers, including the school transport drivers, need to make it their responsibility to ensure that no tragic accidents happen, especially when children are being dropped off.
“There are certain situations that drivers need to be aware of when transporting children. One of them is that when being dropped off, children are likely to run across the driveway or road without checking for oncoming traffic. They can also be easily hidden from view,” explained Dube.
“Drivers, including staff and school transport operators, must always remember to slow down as much as possible when approaching public transport, particularly near schools or school transport drop-off sections, double-check before moving around the vehicle and be prepared for a child popping out unexpectedly.
“School-going children are also more likely to make mistakes by misjudging the speed and distance of a vehicle when crossing the roads. It’s, therefore, important for the driver to make decisions that make allowance for mistakes and misjudgment from children around schools.”
Dube also urged drivers, especially those using busy roads around schools, to always obey the rules, such as adhering to a speed limit in a school zone.
“We sometimes witness cars driving recklessly and dangerously speeding on the roads around our school. Drivers should be more cautious to ensure the safety of the school-going children.”
Dube pointed out that their school used to have a trained and registered scholar patrol team managing traffic on Main Reef Road, ensuring the safety of their fellow learners. However, this programme was put on hold almost two years ago because of several issues related to Covid-19. The school is planning to reinstitute the project and send its team out on the road again.
The school thanked the volunteers from the local community who help learners cross the busy roads every morning and after school.
“We also thank the municipality for the installation of the traffic-calming speed hump on Wit Deep Road, as it served as a very important response after several learners were fatally hit by vehicles while trying to cross the road.”
The stretch of road has in the past couple of years seen at least four separate fatal incidents where school-going children were knocked over by vehicles.
However, the school management said it has noted a downward trend in crashes involving learners since the installation of speed humps on the road in question.
EMPD Involvement
The EMPD also plays an integral role in scholar patrol and helping with traffic flow, especially at traffic hotspots within proximities of schools and ensuring the safety of learners crossing the roads.
According to EMPD spokesperson Lieut Col Kelebogile Thepa, to help with traffic flow at traffic hotspots, the EMPD deploys traffic wardens.
“The provincial transport department is the custodian in the approval of scholar patrols through application documents received from a certain school requesting such service.
“The involvement of the EMPD is through a participatory process in ensuring the scholar patrols complete indemnity documents, appointments and issuing of appropriate reflective clothing, stopping boards and caps. EMPD will visit these schools to ensure all prescriptions from the transport department are adhered to,” explained Thepa.
Thepa pointed out that equipment for the scholar patrol team is provided by the Department of Transport annually, and this usually occurs at the beginning of the new year.
“Training is provided in conjunction with both the EMPD and the Department of Transport. EMPD’s Social Crime Division visits points throughout the year.”
She said the roads department from the respective local municipality or metro is responsible for the installation and maintenance of applicable speed humps as well as the installation of the necessary traffic-calming road markings.
“The EMPD is evaluating scholar patrols regularly and ensuring the free flow of traffic in and around schools. If additional deployment is required and manpower is available, additional wardens are deployed to assist in the free flow of traffic. The Social Crime Prevention also addresses traffic offences around schools regularly.”
Thepa admitted that on certain occasions, the EMPD handles situations where drivers display aggressive attitudes towards scholar patrol members, especially when it comes to parking.
“Such drivers are addressed professionally to ensure they abide by the rules. Applicable action is taken if so required.
In the Boksburg precinct, the EMPD helps with traffic flow at the following hotspots: the intersection of Commissioner and Elsburg roads, Elsburg Road next to ZCC and Extension Five in Ramaphosa and outside Parkdene Primary School.
Poor visibility
Many motorists in Boksburg claim traffic officers, wardens in particular, seldom visit traffic hotspots to assist with traffic flow amid power outages, mostly caused by cable thefts and load-shedding.
However, Thepa said they try their best to assist at major intersections when needed.
“Unfortunately, during load-shedding, not all intersections will be covered by point duty.”
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