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Scholar patrols at selected schools will be
part of the new Pritt Scholar Patrol System, set up to keep learners safe.
CROSSING the road can be a dangerous
business, and schoolchildren are particularly vulnerable as they race to school.
Many schools try to beat the risks by having scholar patrols.
Keeping youngsters safe crossing Joburg's roads
Now Henkel, the maker of Pritt, has joined
forces with the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) to emphasise the
importance of the scholar patrol. A partnership between the two
was announced on 27 January at the Orlando Seventh Day Adventist Primary School
in Orlando West, Soweto.
David Berman, the general manager of Henkel
South Africa, explained his company's decision to get involved: "In
acknowledgement of the popularity and support that Pritt enjoys in the
schooling environment, Henkel wanted to be able to give something back that
would have an impact on learners' lives beyond the classroom.
"Next to education, child safety is close
to our hearts and the concept of a Pritt Scholar Patrol System provided us with
a practical way to benefit the community. The Pritt Scholar Patrol System
supplements the elements provided by the RTMC with the focus on road safety and
emphasis on pedestrian safety and motorist visibility," he said in a statement.
Speaking at the announcement, Muthu
Madzivhandila, the acting senior executive manager of the RTMC, said this
public-private partnership was like a marriage ceremony, in which both parties
played crucial parts in funding the initiative.
According to the member of the mayoral
committee for transport, Rehana Moosajee, this partnership allowed the
initiative to move beyond a "seldom-experience" into one which would allow
people other options for road safety education. "We should now take road safety
initiatives beyond pamphlets."
By starting young, children would learn the
basics of road safety and would, in turn, teach their parents, she added.
She believed that most road safety problem lay
with adults because they ignored the rules of the road by speaking on cellphones
while driving, speeding and neglecting to wear seatbelts when driving, Moosajee
said. "The city will soon be welcoming thousands of tourists who are used to
stopping in front of zebra crossings, while drivers in the city ignore [them]."
Scholar patrols are operated by learners
under the supervision of their teachers, in which they are responsible for ensuring
their peers cross the road and get to the school gates safely.
Equipment to be used at schools under the
new initiative has been selected by the RTMC and will increase the learners'
visibility to motorists, which will increase safety. These safety enhancement
items will be used in addition to the regulatory permanent signage and road
markings.
"The kits are extensive and include pop-up
banners, high visibility warning flags, safety bibs and caps as well as rain
capes," said Berman.
Schools are analysed and recommended by the
RTMC for participation in the Pritt Scholar Patrol System, and it ensures that the
prescribed scholar patrol training and management is in place.
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