OCTOBER is national Transport Month, eThekwini Municipality has planned a series of road safety awareness campaigns to be held throughout the month.
These information sharing and distribution sessions will be held at various public transport hubs in the city and aim to provide all residents with information to empower them about safe road travel while highlighting potential dangers on the road.
“EThekwini Transport Authority (ETA) will also highlight the progress made on GO!Durban which is set to revolutionise public transport in the city. There will be an educational tour of the first routes under construction for city leadership and officials, media and other stakeholders. They will be given the opportunity to view progress made on these routes and the first station under construction while also visiting the Transport Management Centre at the ETA offices which has been upgraded to support the new integrated transport network,” explained Head of eThekwini Municipality’s Communication, Tozi Mthethwa.
She said that the municipality started the National Transport Month campaign on Wednesday, 5 October when GO!Durban co-hosted the UN Habitat Forum. This United Nations initiative collaborates with leading cities across the globe with the aim of creating sustainable cities that recognise transport as being a key instrument to a better urban future and to promote economic growth and development.
Mayor, Zandile Gumede, pledged her support for the various initiatives planned to commemorate National Transport Month. She urged all residents to take heed of the campaign
messages and rally behind the transformation of society through the delivery of safe and reliable public transport.
“National Transport Month is an important campaign to raise awareness of the vital role that transport plays in our society to improve communities and the economy. This year’s campaign is designed to encourage the participation of a number of influential groups in highlighting this role,” said Cllr Gumede. “We are pleased to be hosting the UN Habitat and initiating the conversation and thinking of our delivery of GO!Durban on a global scale. This further demonstrates our commitment as a city to improving the quality of life of all residents.”
Gumede added that while vigorous road safety awareness campaigning would be done throughout October, continued road safety campaigns throughout the year aimed particularly at the youth who faced daily challenges of getting to school and tertiary institutions, was important.
In this vein, Gumede extended the opportunity to the young people of the GO!Durban Cycle Academy to create artworks of their personalised ‘vision of what transport will look like in the future’. These artworks will be unveiled during this month.
Gumede said there will be focus on the new transport system in the city in October which will pave the way for economic growth and development.
“There are many examples from across the globe on how transport has transformed economies and our new transport plans in GO!Durban are no different. It is because of this I am prioritising the GO!Durban project and moving delivery on it,” she said.
Gumede urged all residents to use the campaigns during the National Transport Month to increase their awareness of safe travel whether as a pedestrian or using non-motorised and even those using public transport or travelling in their private vehicles.
“We need to use this month as a means of encouraging government and civil society to develop a culture of respect and awareness on our roads,” said Cllr Gumede.
The Road Safety Awareness Campaign Programme will be rolled out at the around the city and will visit Pinetown at the Hill Street Taxi Rank on Thursday, 20 October from midday to 2pm.
