On the coalface of community safety
About 30 City of Johannesburg ward committee members in Region C have completed an extensive two-day training course at Florida Fire Station in Roodepoort aimed at equipping them with skills to enable them to react appropriately in the event of a road incident.
Region C includes areas such as Roodepoort, Florida, Dobsonville, Braamfischerville, Strubensvalley, Ruimsig, Zandspruit and Cosmo City.
The training, which was conducted by the City’s Emergency Management Services (EMS) personnel, formed part of Transport Month’s activities.
The training was also aimed at creating fire safety awareness among ward committee members, who Johannesburg Transport Department’s Sipho Nhlapo described as being at the forefront of community safety.
The 30 bring to 69 the number of ward committee members who have been similarly trained since the beginning of Transport Month.
It is envisaged that by the time Transport Month ends on November 1, more than 150 ward committee members throughout the City would have gone through the course, which also includes physical training.
Successful candidates are presented with certificates at the end of the second session.
City of Johannesburg Member of the Mayoral Committee for Transport, Councillor Christine Walters said ward committee members were chosen for this important training because of the proximity to communities.
“They are always on the ground. They are at the forefront of community safety. That’s why it is critical that they are equipped with proper information and skills in case they are confronted with emergency situations such as road accidents. They should be able to make the area safe for motorists,” said MMC Walters.
Transport Month kicked off with a Go Gas Mobility Summit, in which Johannesburg Executive Mayor Mpho Parks Tau announced the City’s plans to migrate its vehicle fleet from petrol and diesel to biogas.
This year’s Transport Month will, as the theme suggests, focus on encouraging residents to walk, cycle and use public transport to find their way around the city.
A number of events aligned to the theme have been planned. One of the highlights of the events will be the launch of the first completed dedicated cycling and walking pathways in Orlando, Soweto, on October 23 in partnership with the national government.
As part of the City’s commitment to improving public transport safety, a safety awareness campaign in partnership with the taxi industry will conducted at the Baragwanath Taxi Rank in Soweto later in the month.
The city’s women – who just recently celebrated Women’s Month – will play a visible role during Transport Month. The City will host a Women-in-Transport and Construction Seminar on October 21. The seminar will focus on motivating women in emerging companies by identifying opportunities in the transport sector.
A popular public transport adventure, during which teams compete to visit places of interest using public transport, will be held again this year under the name of “Kasi to Kasi”.
Another highlight of Transport Month will be the Ecomobility Weekend in Maboneng, a privately developed urban neighbourhood on the eastern side of Johannesburg, from October 24-26, during which time certain streets will be closed and visitors encouraged to use public transport to get to the precinct.
On November 1, the City will stage an “open street” event in Kaalfontein and officially launch the recently improved sidewalks in this area.