Mass ride for safety

POLOKWANE – With the high number of deaths owing to motorcycle accidents over the past few months, an awareness campaign was organised and launched by independent bikers Mariaan Coetzee and Bossie Bosman.

The campaign kicked off on Saturday in the form of a mass ride through the city, which started from Bosman’s new bike and accessories store, Bike Zone, in Dalmada. Some 70 bikers participated and supported this event. Escorted by traffic officials, the bikers travelled through the city in order to create awareness.

According to Coetzee, the mass ride was aimed at making other road users aware of the number of bikers who make use of the roads in and around Polokwane. She said they wanted to establish a “look twice, save a life” culture among motorists and motorcyclists.

“All motorcyclists, even learners who are using motorcycles as a means of transport every day, are encouraged to wear reflective jackets at all times when riding on their bikes. This is part of our safety awareness project, which will continue in various phases and forms,” Coetzee said.

She said they were also negotiating with the local authorities to establish appropriate traffic signs in and around the city to make motorists aware of bikers, especially at high schools.

“We are also planning to offer with bike-riding training. The small fee involved will not be for training but rather for the facility that will be used to train motorcyclists,” she explained. People interested in this training programme, especially parents who have children with motorbikes, can contact Bosman Brink at 084 396 1608 for more information,” she said.

“A big thank you to everyone who supported our campaign on Saturday. This is only the beginning and we plan to hold such events every six months,” she said, adding that some schools were also getting involved.

“We plan to involved different bike and car dealerships in future as well,” she added.