Cape Town - The Pedal Power Association (PPA) will be hosting a safety awareness ride in Khayelitsha tomorrow morning to highlight the dangers faced by cyclists on the road and to encourage members of Khayelitsha to take up cycling.
The PPA is a public benefit organisation whose mission is to promote cycling in all its forms and increase cycling safety, cycling conditions, and provide a voice for cycling in South Africa.
PPA chairman Steve Hayward said that the awareness ride was aimed at educating motorists on how to share the road with riders and to inform cyclists on how to stay safe on the road. He said that he hoped that the awareness ride would inspire more community members to take up cycling.
“In many lower-income communities people rely on bicycles to commute on a daily basis, and with the increase in petrol prices, we are expecting even more people to take up cycling,” he said.
Hayward said that the awareness ride would also educate cyclists on knowing the rules of the road, where to ride, how to ride, the correct clothes and how to keep safe by abiding to the rules of the road.
Founder and managing director of Khaltsha Cycles, Sindile Mavundla, said that the 3-year-old bike shop has seen an increase in the use of bikes in Khayelitsha.
“From only knowing 20 bike owners in the community, we now have more than 300 bike members at our shop who use bikes to commute, daily.”
Mavundla said he hoped that the awareness ride would further increase bike visibility in the community and encourage positive relations between bicycles and other vehicles on the road.The 13km awareness ride will take place tomorrow morning at 10am to 12 noon, starting from Khaltsha Cycles, 32 Makabeni Road, Khayelitsha.
Members of the public are encouraged to join the ride to raise awareness of cyclists on the roads and to encourage cycling as a mode of transport in the community. Rules of the road are to be followed and hand out reflective bibs will be handed out to all participants. Free coffee will be offered to the riders at the end.
Weekend Argus