Every day, millions of South African scholars walk to school, exposing themselves to significant road safety risks. According to the Road Traffic Management Corporation, 26% of pedestrian fatalities in the country involve children and young adults under 19. To address this critical issue, the Route2School tool was implemented in Cape Town as part of the international Trans-Safe consortium's efforts to improve road safety in Africa.
The Route2School tool, developed by the Transportation Research Institute at the University of Hasselt and ABEONA Consult, aims for zero road casualties among scholars. By analyzing road safety infrastructure and scholar travel behavior, this tool identifies hazardous locations without relying solely on crash data. Instead, it gathers insights directly from those who use these routes daily—scholars, parents, and teachers.
Three schools in Cape Town with varying socio-economic backgrounds were studied: Pinehurst Primary School (affluent), Bergrivier NGK Primer (rural), and Chuma Public Primary School (township). The primary road safety concerns identified include speeding, lack of pedestrian sidewalks, and inadequate crossing facilities. Additionally, fears of criminal activity in school precincts were noted.
Chuma Public Primary School in Khayelitsha, a large township, saw 107 respondents participate, with 90.9% traveling by foot. The top reported problems were excessive speeding, bad road surfaces, dangerous intersections, and the absence of pedestrian paths. Key roads like Govan Mbeki Road and Japhta K. Masemola Road were frequently mentioned for needing safety interventions.
In contrast, Pinehurst Primary School in Pinelands, an affluent suburb, had 78 respondents, with 67.1% traveling by car. Despite the higher car usage, 30.4% still walked to school, highlighting the universal need for safe pedestrian routes. The primary concerns were traffic behavior, speeding, dangerous intersections, and the lack of crosswalks, with Stellenberg Road, Rhone, and Rustenberg Road being critical areas for intervention.
Bergrivier NGK Primer, a small rural school, had 30 routes and 24 bottlenecks reported. The majority of scholars travelled by foot, with speeding, absence of pedestrian paths, and unsafe walking conditions being the main issues. The reports emphasized the necessity for proper infrastructure even in rural areas.
These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted measures to ensure the safety of school children. Integrating quantitative data from crash records with qualitative insights from the Route2School tool provides a comprehensive understanding of the safety challenges. By addressing these issues, we can create safer commuting environments for scholars across South Africa, contributing to global road safety goals and protecting our future generations.
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