Kasi Riders Biking Club is calling on motorists, especially taxi drivers, to consider them, citing an alarming number of incidents in which bikers fall victim to reckless driving.
At least four members of the club were killed on the corner of Japhta Masemola Road and Mew Way last year alone, the club said.
On Saturday February 24, the motorcyclists came together to raise awareness about their plight. With the support of ordinary people and the Department of Transport and Public Works, club members distributed pamphlets, breathalysers and other material to motorists and pedestrians urging them to look out for them on the roads.
Organisers woke up early to ensure they reached as many people as possible, standing at robot intersections carrying signs reminding all drivers to share space on the roads.
Spokesperson for the Kasi Riders, Moses Sibiya, said the campaign presented them with an opportunity to engage with the community and taxi drivers.
“We call on the motorists, especially taxi drivers, to give us space to drive too. They need to know that we are also (road users). There are difficult people on the roads. We are saying to them don’t use cellphones while driving, check your mirrors all the time and be considerate to all the other motorists – that includes us,” he said.
Mr Sibiya said: “In light of the death of one of our members, we felt we can no longer sit back and watch. We needed to do something. We plan to continue with these campaigns in other areas too. We also have a couple of projects that we want to help the communities with.”
The message is that everyone needs to share the roadway. We will not rest until motorists realise that we are drivers too,” he said.
Sipho Ndlumbini, who lives in Taiwan in Site C, said he was happy to see riders on the road and had often witnessed “unjust treatment” meted out to riders by motorists.
“The truth is, everybody ignores them on the roads. You must see how some try to block their way. May this campaign yield good results for them,” he said.
Nokuzola Letselebe from the Department of Transport and Public Works urged motorists to always look out for others, including cyclists. She said her department supported the safety awareness campaign by riders and that road safety was everybody’s business.
