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In response to traffic safety challenges, the Eastern Cape Department of Transport visited Qongqota Lower/Higher Primary School in a bid to conduct road safety education between 16 and 18 July 2012.

The school is situated at the center of the Qongqota rural administrative area, and many learners residing around the area walk about 3 to 4 kilometres to school.

Below are some of the road safety challenges identified:

• There is one main gravel road used by both pedestrians and vehicles and it is also the route the learners use to get to school.
• The road is dusty, narrow, and does not have any sidewalk or provision for pedestrians to walk safely.
• The taxis drivers also pose hazard by speeding on that road.
• There is no signage or provision for Taxi / Bus stops, which results into disregard of the young pedestrians.
• There is a need for a Road Safety Education programme targeting learners.

"We deployed road safety officials in the area to assist and teach learners to walk on the right side of the road during the morning and the afternoons," said Mawethu Mxi, who is a Road Safety Manager at Amathole District. He added that reflective bibs and arm bands were provided for learners travelling on that road for visibility purposes.

Among other road safety education elements that took place on that week were:

• Pedestrian Safety and Cyclist education
• Pedestrian Safety, Junior Traffic Training Centre and Safe Cycling training.