Car Free Day 'ignored'
2005-10-20 09:56
Johannesburg - Only a small number of Gauteng motorists on Thursday appeared to have heeded government's call to participate in Car Free Day.
Johannesburg metro police spokesperson Superintendent Wayne Minnaar said the volume of traffic on the highways was "a little less", with some people riding in and out of the city in car-pools and buses.
Car Free Day is a government initiative to get residents to use public transport in an attempt to reduce traffic.
Ekurhuleni metro police spokesperson Vusi Mabanga said traffic flow in the area was the same, with the usual traffic back up on the Geldenhuis interchange in Germiston.
"Nothing appears to have changed. We have had our normal accidents happening with six reported in the northern region and eight in the southern part since six this morning," said Mabanga.
In Tshwane, metro police spokesperson Director Johan Vosloo said not much difference has been noticed but that he was still waiting for a full report.
Meanwhile Transport Minister Jeff Radebe is walking and taking taxis in the Pretoria city centre on Thursday, raising awareness for Car Free Day.
The voluntary exercise forms part of the department's attempt to reduce traffic congestion. The department said fewer cars on the road would improve road safety and bring down pollution levels.
Distributing pamphlets
Radebe is walking from various bus and taxi terminals in the city distributing pamphlets about Car Free Day and the department's other initiatives to lower traffic congestion.
He is to be joined by Gauteng transport MEC Ignatius Jacobs and other officials before the official programme starts at Sammy Marks Square in the city centre.
Radebe and Jacobs will address the gathering before handing out bicycles to school principals and cycling around the venue.
Recent travel surveys showed that 4.5 million workers and students used a car to travel to work or school.
The government was investing R2.7bn to improve rail services, and R2.3bn to better the bus subsidy system, the department said.
Another R7.7bn had been set aside to improve safety in the taxi industry through the recapitalisation programme.
- SAPA