Mobility Month ended with the official launch of a first-of-its-kind Junior Traffic Training Centre (JTTC) on Thursday 31 October.
The JTTC is situated at the Oasis School in Belhar, but locally learners of Pieter Langeveldt Primary School were also part of the project by the provincial government and ChildSafe South Africa project.
The facility aims to reduce preventable child fatalities on roads by equipping learners with skills to safely navigate roads. The urgency of this initiative is underscored by the latest data from the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), which reveals that pedestrian fatalities rose to 45% last year. Alarmingly, children aged zero to 14 represent 10,2% of these cases.
The Oasis JTTC is a first for the Western Cape, specifically adapted to support children with special needs. Just like the JTTC in Cloetesville, the facility at Oasis is a simulated environment providing a safe space for youth to engage in road safety training, helping them recognise road signs and understand pedestrian responsibilities – all through interactive learning and play.
“More than 53% of fatalities, including drivers, passengers, cyclists, and especially pedestrians, involve vulnerable road users. Our goal is to implement lower speed limits, especially near schools, to safeguard our children,” Willie van der Merwe, acting chief director of Traffic Management in the provincial mobility department, emphasised.
ChildSafe South Africa, an organisation advocating for safer road environments, has been instrumental in promoting speed reductions around schools.
Executive director Zaitoon Rabaney underscored the organisation’s commitment to road safety: “The need to prioritise the safety and well-being of our children on roads is vital. In South Africa, we lose too many young lives to preventable road crashes.”
Isaac Sileku, provincial minister for mobility, added that government is committed to creating safer roads and ensuring that every child, regardless of his or her abilities, can navigate roads safely and confidently.
The launch of the JTTC is a proud and necessary milestone.
