IN preparation for the Amashova race, the Amashova team, along with the Road Accident Fund (RAF), eThekwini Transport Authority, the KZN Department of Transport, and eThekwini Metro Police, hosted a Road Safety Awareness Day at eThembeni School in Inchanga.

The event, which preempts activities normally held in October for Transport Month, was aimed at students from the local Inchanga community to promote awareness around the rules of the road and improving the condition of the existing cycling facility at the school.

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The partnership between Amashova and eThembeni Primary School began in 2010 with the establishment of the Amashova school-based road-safety programme. This initiative aimed to create custom cycle tracks at schools, provide bicycles for children and empower local schools situated along the Amashova race route to manage these self-sustaining projects.

The collaboration started with the construction of a road-safety bike park on the school grounds. Since then, the Amashova team have made several visits in an effort to maintain the bike park, while continuing to raise awareness about road safety both on and off a bike.

During the Road Safety Awareness Day event, students from grades 5 to 7 had the opportunity to absorb critical road-safety lessons from representatives of the Road Accident Fund (RAF), eThekwini Transport Authority, the KZN Department of Transport, and eThekwini Metro Police. Live road-safety demonstrations and catchy songs and phrases taught to the students brought these lessons to life, offering learners practical tips on how to stay safe while navigating the roads.

The students also received valuable road-safety materials and samples, including Johnson Workwear visi belts. These resources play a pivotal role in enhancing their understanding of road-safety concepts and strengthening their overall awareness of safe road practices.

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Annie Batchelder, race director at Amashova, expressed the organisation’s commitment to share with all road users the importance of road safety and the awareness of cyclists on the road. “Several disadvantaged schools are situated along our Amashova route, and we are steadfast in our mission to educate the youth about road safety,” she explained.

Unpacking the importance of the Road Safety Awareness roadshows to schools, Bonga Mpofu, deputy director for Road Safety of the Durban region for the KZN Department of Transport said it was rewarding to see the impact they have had on the children, and in the long run, on this community.

Philile Sambo, Durban Regional Marketing and Communications officer for the Road Accident Fund, said they are delighted to be part of this initiative and to have struck up a new partnership with the Amashova Durban Classic race as their official safety partner for the next three years. Sambo added that their main focus as the RAF is road safety, and they are excited to be part of the roadshows at schools to promote road safety.

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To promote safety, the Amashova race organisers will be prompting full road closure on race day from Pietermaritzburg to Durban. This year, the Road Accident Fund is helping to further strengthen safety measures on the route on race day by strategically placing hay bales along the race route, ensuring maximum protection for cyclists who will participate in the upcoming race on October 22.

To find out more information about the race, visit www.shova.co.za. Entries were closed on September 25.

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