Bicycles to assist Limpopo learners who walk long distances to school

LIMPOPO – The deputy Minister of Transport, Sindisiwe Chikunga handed over 257 bicycles to Shirelele and Hlalukweni secondary schools in Collins Chabane on Monday as a part of Shova Kulula bicycles and Learner Guidance on Road Safety and Transport Careers.

Shirelele Secondary School received 107 while Hlalukweni Secondary School received 150 bicycles.

The handover was part of the back-to-school campaign and aimed at assisting learners who walk long distances to school to access basic education.

Road safety education, awareness and training will be provided to the beneficiaries of the bicycles to ensure that learners have a full understanding of the road safety issues when riding the bicycles.

The objective of the programme is to promote cycling and provide a low-cost mobility solution, which shall enhance rural accessibility and urban mobility to enable poor communities to participate in socio-economic opportunities, including schooling.

Chikunga said the donation formed part of their annual back-to-school campaign for which the national Department of Transport collaborated with the provincial department of Transport and Community Safety and the provincial Department of Basic Education.

“Together with the school and the municipality we have attached to this campaign our ongoing programmes of easing mobility between homes and schools. These programmes involve the provision of scholar transport and the distribution of bicycles to qualifying learners as we apply effort and resources to ensure all learners get to school. As is evident, we have in our company government officials to answer questions on transport careers, given the need of developing the transport sector and growing our economy broadly. We know that the development of relevant and modern professional skills can only be realised if we ensure that our schools are melting pots for the sustainable development of skills, knowledge and expertise for a prosperous and self-sufficient South Africa,” said Chikunga.

She said the back-to-school campaign has formed part of critical foundational steps to the building of a transformed society.

“A transformed society shows itself in the availability of diverse opportunities from which we can choose our destinies and thus where we want to be irrespective of differences of our genders or skin colour. It can be said therefore that this campaign has equally been about a transformed educational system, open, inclusive, based on nationally productive outcomes and a progressive culture of learning and teaching,” she said.

She told CV that the Department of Transport through its national learner transport policy and implementation plan seeks, among others, to ensure the realisation of a constitutional right to education, and learning while committedly responding to the developmental needs of children and youth.

“The policy recognises the challenges of unsafe road conditions, equally unsafe and insecure vehicles, uncoordinated services and unprincipled scholar transportation operations. The beneficiaries are learners from Gr. R-12 including learners with disabilities as defined by the South African Schools Act,” she explained.

Collins Chabane Mayor, Shadrack Maluleke, was thankful for the Shova Kulula bicycles which were handed over.