JUNIOR TRAFFIC TRAINING CENTRE (JTTC) LAUNCHED AT HOOPSIG, PATERNOSTER.

Hoopsig, the educational support and life skills centre of the Paternoster Project NPC, became the proud recipient of a child-friendly traffic training facility. The aim of this training facility is to teach primary school learners about road safety in a play environment, without exposing them to the dangers of real traffic situations.

The colourful facility was launched on Thursday 25 March to a group of excited children who eagerly learnt the rules of the road and the meaning of various signs. “We are so fortunate to have this facility. Our children are used to roaming the village with their dogs. The marked increase in visitor traffic are putting them at peril,” said Shemoné Bokhary, the programme manager at Hoopsig.

JTTCs are part of a programme implemented by the directorate Road Safety Management (RSM) of the Western Cape Department of Transport on behalf of the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC).  Saldanha Bay Municipality takes pride in its continuous partnership with both the RSM and RTMC.

At the launch, on hand to assist the little ones to get to know the rules of the road, were Enveretha Miggel, Senior Traffic Officer and Joey Pieters, Law Enforcement Officer from the Saldanha Bay Municipality. The popular character, Daantjie Kat, has been teaching children about road safety for many years and made a surprise appearance at the event!

According to Lizel Plaatjies, from the RSM, there was a tragic increase in pedestrian deaths across the province and country in the last three years. Statistics show that pedestrians account for almost half of all road deaths on South African roads.

“This JTTC will allow RSM and the community to continue with vital and life-saving education We sincerely hope this facility will help to bring down pedestrian deaths in the Paternoster area,” Plaatjies said.