Providing access to bicycles during lockdown

On 14 August 2020, the Department of Transport and Public Works distributed 100 bicycles to 4 community safety units, 4 neighbourhood watch programmes and 4 South African Police Service (SAPS) stations in the Overstrand Municipality at a ceremony led by the Executive Mayor Alderman Dudley Coetzee.

As part of its Provincial Sustainable Transport Programme (PSTP), the Department of Transport and Public Works provides access to bicycles through a distribution implementation plan aimed at improving access and mobility of users.

Bicycle Mobility Consortium (BMC) has been appointed to support the PSTP’s Provincial Bicycle Distribution Programme.

The BMC consortium consists of a partnership between the Bicycling Empowerment Network (BEN), Pedal Power Association (PPA) and Qhubeka. They have extensive experience in bicycle distributions, education, training and cycling advocacy and are leaders in their fields in South Africa.

During the last few weeks, we distributed bicycles into the following mobility programmes:

• Khaltsha Cycles supporting essential workers in Khayelitsha
• Movement for Social Justice and Change in Gugulethu
• SMME support – Cloudy Deliveries in Langa
• Coot Neighbourhood Watch in Mitchels Plain
• Communities Wellness Solutions in Ocean View
• Phumlani Community Safety Programmes in Phillipi
• Supporting various food gardens
• Langa Community Action Network
• Dunoon COVID Hotspot support

A key part of our programme is to seek collaboration with other Western Cape Government departments in a true “Whole of Government" approach including:

1. Department of Agriculture,
2. Department of Community Safety,
3. Western Cape Education Department, and
4. Department of Health.