15 Feb 2012 PPA launches new safe cycling campaign
The Pedal Power Association (PPA) proudly launched its ‘Safe Cycling’ campaign on Wednesday 15 February 2012. The campaign focuses on a safe passing distance of 1.5m between vehicles and cyclists and ties in with new legislation expected to be passed later this year.
According to MEC Robin Carlisle, Minister for Transport and Public Works, the “1.5m” passing distance is set to become law this year. The enabling decisions have already been taken by Cabinet and public participation will be advertised in the very near future.
At the beginning of each year, the number of cyclists increases substantially due to the Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour (Cycle Tour) which takes place annually on the second Sunday of March. The Cycle Tour is the biggest cycle event in South Africa and one of the largest timed events in the world, and attracts thousands of visiting cyclists to Cape Town. Many of these cyclists are not regular riders and not always accustomed to cycling on the roads in and around Cape Town. This in turn poses challenges to both cyclists and motorists on our roads.
“We are in the fortunate position that the Pedal Power Association and the Rotary Club of Claremont are the beneficiaries of the Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust who organises, amongst others, the annual Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour. The PPA uses any profits received in this way to run the Association, and to fund cycling projects that fit in with our Constitution. In this way, in the last four years, PPA has allocated over R7m on 120 cycling projects,” explained PPA Chairman, Steve Hayward.
This year, PPA has decided to allocate funding received from the Cycle Tour to take cycling safety drive to new heights by launching their biggest safety campaign yet.
The message is a clear and simple one: “Cyclists stay alive at 1.5m”.
“We want to urge motorists to make sure they pass cyclists with a wide berth of at least 1.5m. It’s simple – if a vehicle is 1.5m away from a cyclist, that vehicle cannot hit the cyclist,” Hayward said.
The campaign rolls out across radio, print, social media, moving media (back-of-bus) and even bumper stickers will be available to help spread the word. Bumper stickers are available from participating cycle dealers and coffee shops, will be posted to all Cycle Tour entrants, and will also be available from the PPA Offices in Mowbray and at events on the PPA funride calendar.
The bumper stickers are linked to a competition to encourage cyclists to put the bumper stickers on their vehicles for the times when they need to use a motor car instead of a bicycle as their means of commuting. Vehicles spotted sporting these bumper stickers will be announced on the PPA website and Facebook page on Fridays between now and 16 March 2012, with six Giant bicycles being up for grabs in the competition. The competition can also be entered through taking a photograph of a vehicle with the bumper sticker in place and posting it to the Facebook page. In addition, two bicycles can be won through a radio competition on KFM.
– See more photographs on our facebook page on www.facebook.com/pedalpowerassociation