By Aphiwe Mgoqi
South Africa is known to have high levels of crime which lead to many being unable to walk because of a fear of being attacked. Durban University Students who stay in city centre residences often speak about how they leave some of their valuables behind when trekking to the university’s City Campus because they walk through high crime hotspots. There are also issues of non compliance when pedestrians and drivers are using the road.
An organisation which calls itself Young Urbanists partnered with e-hailing service, Uber, in its third ‘Safer Streets’ Roundtable on Durban’s Florida Road in order to discuss such issues. Apart from discussions, there were other activities aimed at finding solutions. They even took a stroll on the streets in order to identify where the issues are and how they can be resolved.
“There is no awareness about town conservation and road safety. That’s why the team saw it fit to partner with Uber to have these workshops as ways to bridge the gap. The mission is to make streets safe for cyclists, Uber drivers and pedestrians,” says Young Urbanists director, Roland Postma.
There were architects, town planners, entrepreneurs and engineers.
“My idea of street safety only involved just the pedestrians and drivers. This workshop has taught me that as an architect who is interested in actively taking part in ensuring street safety it is important to find solutions that cater for everyone including the visually impaired and paraplegic,” explains Kamvalethu Mahlekelele from BU Landscaping.
DigiYouth CEO, Ayesha Bayat, says its important to work with young people on these projects. “The initiative is about networking and trying to familiarise ourselves with the youth and by doing that also enhancing our streets by knowing what’s lacking, what’s needed and what is already there so we can actively help.”
Similar events also take place in other South African cities.
