Joburg, Qhubeka bikes put Alexandra on the move

10 October 2017

 

It was all smiles and laughter at the Kwabhekilanga High school in Alexandra on Friday 6 October when 98 jubilant learners, care givers and Community Policing Forum members took possession of their brand new bicycles provided by the City of Joburg and non-profit organisation Qhubeka.

 

This follows the successful distribution of 108 bicycles in Soweto on 20 September.

Speaking during yet another donation in Alexandra, Member of the Mayoral Committee responsible for Transport Cllr Nonhlanla Makhuba said it was important to provide alternative transport like bicycles to communities that rely on one mode of transport - taxis.

The latest distribution brings the number of bicycles distributed in Alexandra over the last year to 211.

MMC Makhuba said the City is determined to increase the number of cyclists across the City.

"We are committed to becoming a cycle friendly City through the construction of infrastructure, integration of cycling with public transport, bicycle donations and bike activations.”

As part of the programme, Qhubeka gets COJ match funding partners from the private sector and for 2017, Volkswagen (VW) has become one of the companies that partnered with the City of Johannesburg to donate more bicycles

Last Friday was a special day for 28 learners, 30 community health workers and 40 Community Police Forum members who received the bicycles as part of the programme to support a strong cycling culture in Alexandra.

The programme has helped to:

• shorten the time it takes for learners to commute to school and also to improve their school
performance thereof,
• enable community health workers to easily move around when doing community visits, health promotions and campaigns,
• give transport support to the CPF members to travel faster and to make it easier to patrol
the area.

Also in attendance at the event was Health and Social Development MMC , Cllr Mpho Phalatse who expressed confidence that the bicycles would improve the work of health workers in the area.

"Health workers play a critical role in taking care of our patients that are sometimes unable to visit our clinics. These bicycles will help improve service delivery and also keep our workers physically fit. It is important to appreciate the donation and how it will help our communities across age groups,’’ said MMC Phalatse.

The region currently has 86 community health workers aged between 25 and 35. They are each assigned 250 households which they have to visit. There are also 52 registered community patrollers in the Alexandra and Sandringham Police Stations.