Date: 15/09/2003
Source: Gauteng Provincial Government
Title: Mosunkutu: Handing over of pedestrian safety project in Orange Farm, Gauteng
ADDRESS BY GAUTENG PUBLIC TRANSPORT, ROADS AND WORKS MEC KHABISI MOSUNKUTU AT THE OFFICIAL HANDING OVER OF A PEDESTRIAN SAFETY PROJECT AT BOITUMELO IN ORANGE FARM, 15 September 2003
Programme Director: Mr Kesi Arran;
Leaders of the communities of Boitumelo;
Councillors from the Local Municipalities present;
Management and Staff members of the Department;
Representatives of the local contractors Invited guests;
Ladies and Gentlemen
It is a great pleasure for me to be part of this gathering and to be able to officially hand over another instalment of our Department's ongoing mission of promoting 'accessibility and the safe and affordable movement of people, goods and services.' Knowing that the official launch of this programme will also significantly contribute towards saving lives is indeed a matter of great inspiration. Daily large numbers of pedestrians cross the Golden Highway or have to walk along the Golden Highway going to school, to work, to shops and to visit friends and relatives.
Many adults and children have been killed or seriously injured in doing so. Information obtained from our Traffic Information Centre for the period March 1999 to December 2002, shows that 51 pedestrians were killed, 51 sustained serious injuries and another 34 pedestrians were slightly injured over this period. Some while walking on the roadway and others while crossing the road.
Opening the Gauteng Legislature, on 24 February 2003, Premier Shilowa advised that 'together with all road users we need to pay more attention to road safety'. Motivated by this advice and inspired by our own mission statement as referred to earlier, my Department decided that this serious problem must be addressed and addressed with all the speed we could muster, resources permitting. To this extent four of our Directorates, namely the Directorate Traffic Management, Directorate Transportation Engineering, Directorate Construction and Maintenance and the Directorate Design worked together to start solving the problem. Thus, on 9 May we launched the construction work for this programme.
Programme director, today's gathering bears yet another testimony to the reality that ours is a caring government, indeed. Three months after launch the beginning of construction of this project; we are now here to celebrate delivery on our promise. The pedestrian pathway that has been constructed, is, however, not the only delivery we are here to celebrate. Packaged within this programme, are the following:
Pedestrian path created: 11 061 metres
Investment in the project: R2.5 m
Jobs created :30
local contractors: 247
Within the Department's road safety programme, safety of pedestrians receives particular attention. In 1997, 50% of fatalities on our roads were pedestrians. Confronted with such an alarming situation, our Traffic Management Directorate initiated the Gauteng Pedestrian Management Plan.
It is our intention to, relying on this plan, reduce pedestrian fatalities, in the province, from 13.8% per 100 000 of the population to 8.2 % per 100 000 of the population by the year 2005.
Through this programme, various pedestrian safety programmes were launched in the Tshwane Metropole. Another programme, jointly launched with the Minister of Transport, was recently opened on the N1 at Hammanskraal. In collaboration with the Johannesburg Roads Agency, we are examining the upgrading of the Soweto highway to accommodate pedestrians. This project too, will be launched soon.
In conclusion, I wish to remind each one present here of the remarks of the Premier at the opening of the Provincial Legislature when he said ' Together with all road users, we need to pay more attention to road safety'.
Kamoka re Tla Kgona - Together We Can
Issued by the Gauteng Provincial Government, 15 September 2003
Source: Gauteng Provincial Government
Title: Mosunkutu: Handing over of pedestrian safety project in Orange Farm, Gauteng
ADDRESS BY GAUTENG PUBLIC TRANSPORT, ROADS AND WORKS MEC KHABISI MOSUNKUTU AT THE OFFICIAL HANDING OVER OF A PEDESTRIAN SAFETY PROJECT AT BOITUMELO IN ORANGE FARM, 15 September 2003
Programme Director: Mr Kesi Arran;
Leaders of the communities of Boitumelo;
Councillors from the Local Municipalities present;
Management and Staff members of the Department;
Representatives of the local contractors Invited guests;
Ladies and Gentlemen
It is a great pleasure for me to be part of this gathering and to be able to officially hand over another instalment of our Department's ongoing mission of promoting 'accessibility and the safe and affordable movement of people, goods and services.' Knowing that the official launch of this programme will also significantly contribute towards saving lives is indeed a matter of great inspiration. Daily large numbers of pedestrians cross the Golden Highway or have to walk along the Golden Highway going to school, to work, to shops and to visit friends and relatives.
Many adults and children have been killed or seriously injured in doing so. Information obtained from our Traffic Information Centre for the period March 1999 to December 2002, shows that 51 pedestrians were killed, 51 sustained serious injuries and another 34 pedestrians were slightly injured over this period. Some while walking on the roadway and others while crossing the road.
Opening the Gauteng Legislature, on 24 February 2003, Premier Shilowa advised that 'together with all road users we need to pay more attention to road safety'. Motivated by this advice and inspired by our own mission statement as referred to earlier, my Department decided that this serious problem must be addressed and addressed with all the speed we could muster, resources permitting. To this extent four of our Directorates, namely the Directorate Traffic Management, Directorate Transportation Engineering, Directorate Construction and Maintenance and the Directorate Design worked together to start solving the problem. Thus, on 9 May we launched the construction work for this programme.
Programme director, today's gathering bears yet another testimony to the reality that ours is a caring government, indeed. Three months after launch the beginning of construction of this project; we are now here to celebrate delivery on our promise. The pedestrian pathway that has been constructed, is, however, not the only delivery we are here to celebrate. Packaged within this programme, are the following:
Pedestrian path created: 11 061 metres
Investment in the project: R2.5 m
Jobs created :30
local contractors: 247
Within the Department's road safety programme, safety of pedestrians receives particular attention. In 1997, 50% of fatalities on our roads were pedestrians. Confronted with such an alarming situation, our Traffic Management Directorate initiated the Gauteng Pedestrian Management Plan.
It is our intention to, relying on this plan, reduce pedestrian fatalities, in the province, from 13.8% per 100 000 of the population to 8.2 % per 100 000 of the population by the year 2005.
Through this programme, various pedestrian safety programmes were launched in the Tshwane Metropole. Another programme, jointly launched with the Minister of Transport, was recently opened on the N1 at Hammanskraal. In collaboration with the Johannesburg Roads Agency, we are examining the upgrading of the Soweto highway to accommodate pedestrians. This project too, will be launched soon.
In conclusion, I wish to remind each one present here of the remarks of the Premier at the opening of the Provincial Legislature when he said ' Together with all road users, we need to pay more attention to road safety'.
Kamoka re Tla Kgona - Together We Can
Issued by the Gauteng Provincial Government, 15 September 2003
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