Commuting

PPA Safe cycling campaign 2012

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

UPDATE

We are really thrilled with the positive reaction that PPA’s new “safe cycling” campaign is already receiving from our members.  The campaign comprises several elements to help get the message out there that vehicles should pass cyclists with a minimum distance of 1.5m.

Thanks to PPA member Andre for sending us the pic below – he spotted this bus on Tuesday on the Freeway! There are six buses currently running on northern suburbs routes, with six more on southern suburbs routes following on Monday.

Secondly, on Wednesday we had some 50 000 “safe cycling” bumper stickers delivered to the PPA Office, and immediately started distributing them to participating cycle dealers. You can collect your bumper sticker from one of these shops; the PPA Office; selected cycle-friendly coffee shops; and upcoming funrides. If you had entered the 2012 Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour, you’ll also receive a bumper sticker with your race number.

Cycle dealers who have already received safe cycling bumper stickers and where you can collect yours from, are:

• Olympic Cycles (Claremont)
• Epic Cycles (Plumstead)
• Bowman Cycles (Cape Town)
• Revolution Cycles (Cape Town)
• Action Cycles (Cape Town)
• Cycle Lab (Cape Town and Westlake)
• Soloped (Cape Town)
• City Cycles (Canal Walk shopping centre)
• John O’Connor Cycles (Mouille Point)
• Neil’s Wheels (Plumstead)
• Bridge Cycles (Dieprivier)
• Lifecycle (Parklands)
• Cycles Direct (Sunningdale)
• Regal Cycles (Fish Hoek)
• Circle Cycles (Fish Hoek)
• Crosstown Cycles (Kenilworth)
• Paceline Sports (Lakeside)
• First Avenue Cycles (Retreat)
• Mark’s Cycle Workshop (Bellville)
• Chris Willemse (Bellville)
• Cycle Funatic (Durbanville)
• Geco Cycles (Cape Gate)
• Kroff Cycles (Paarl)
• Manic Cycles (Franschhoek)
• Flandria (Stellenbosch)
• Helderberg Cycles (Somerset West)
• Hout Bay Cycles
• Manic Cycles (Worcester)
• Willie Marx Cycles (George)
• Coimbra Cycles (George)

Coffee shops & other

• PPA Office (Mowbray)
• Carluccis (Blouberg)
• La Cuccina (Hout Bay)
• Casarecchio (Hout Bay)
• BP Cavendish (Claremont)
• At events on the PPA calendar – just go to the PPA Mobile Office at the 99er, Medallion, Wellington Lions funride, Bay City funride etc

We’ll keep updating the list as our distributors come back from their travels. If you have a favourite cycle-friendly coffee shop in and around Town where you think some bumper stickers should be dropped off, email us their details, or do come and collect some stickers to drop off.

Please put the bumper sticker in a prominent position on your car (for the days when you are not commuting by bicycle!). Apart from being a safe cycling ambassador, if you are spotted between now and 16 March 2012, you could win one of six Giant bicycles (two road, two off-road and two cool fold-up commuting bicycles are up for grabs!). Read more about the competition on the back of the bumper sticker. The first draw will take place on Friday 17 February.

You can also enter the ‘win a bicycle’ competition by taking a photograph of your car proudly sporting the bumper sticker, and posting it onto our brand-new Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pedalpowerassociation. Remember to “LIKE” the page first to become a fan!

Next week, print and radio campaigns will follow. There will be an official launch of the campaign on Wednesday 15 February between 07h00 and 08h30 in the Green Point area – first a short 3km cycle, followed by the official campaign launch. We’d love our members to be there and will let you know about the details as soon as the venue has been confirmed.

Let’s all work together to get our roads safer for cyclists. Click here for some safe cycling tips.

FIRST WINNER IN SAFE CYCLING CAMPAIGN BICYCLE GIVEAWAY

The first winner in the PPA Safe Cycling Competition is Aaron Hendrickse, whose name was randomly drawn from all the people who had entered the competition by posting a pic onto the PPA’s Facebook page.  Congratulations! Please see www.facebook.com/pedalpowerassociation for the terms and conditions of the competition, and for more info.