Road incidents and fatalities among pedestrians, especially children, continue to rise in Gauteng despite all the measures implemented by Government. According to the Gauteng Department of Community Safety, a total of 653 people died on roads in Gauteng during the first quarter of the 2021/22 fiscal year, of which 325 (49.8%) were pedestrians. When looking at the same period of the previous fiscal year, fatal crashes increased by 356 (145%), while fatalities increased by 387 (145%) despite the COVID 19 travel restrictions. Urgent measures to assist children and community members with safe access to schools, work, public transit, and many other destinations, cannot be overemphasised. 

Egis Operation South Africa has stepped forward once again to provide a helping hand. Expanding on its socio-economic development programme, the company is demonstrating its commitment to investing in South Africa's youth and partnering with the Government to address pressing challenges in communities. The safety awareness intervention, which was launched on Monday 29th November in Ekurhuleni, is a collaboration between Egis, the Ekurhuleni Police Department (EMPD), the Sekgutlong Primary School, community members from the township of Katlehong, and Traffic Barricade – a traffic accommodation and safety company supported by Egis as part of its Enterprise Development (ED) programme. 

"Our hearts are full of joy today at the generous support to our school from Egis. Within a few weeks of discussions with them to identify some of the nagging problems they could assist us with, Egis has moved swiftly to act on their promises to address the road safety challenges around our school. The collaboration between Egis, Traffic Barricade, EMPD, our school and parents, is a sterling example of service delivery to the public, and how we can join hands as stakeholders to solve complex problems in our communities", says the school principal, Mrs Olga Maja. 

On Monday, Egis South Africa announced the first of two phases of the Sekgutlong Primary School Safety Initiative. Phase 1 of this initiative entailed training awareness sessions on road safety conducted by the EMPD traffic team. Learners, school safety committee members, and several parents attended the sessions. Mr Laurent Bouchacourt, the CEO of Egis South Africa, also handed over school learner patrol clothing and road traffic control equipment to the school. 

"Sekgutlong Primary School is a shining example of a well-run public school within the very dynamic Katlehong community. Egis is a firm believer that vibrant communities are key to strengthening SA's social fabric. It is a privilege to be able to assist the Sekgutlong Primary School and its surrounding community with our time, skills, and operational support – collaborating with incredible leaders such as Mme Olga, who has been leading this school for over 20 years. Together, we hope we can make a real difference towards the safety of school learners, and we hope that many other corporates will continue to support our communities", says Mr Bouchacourt. 

Phase Two of the Sekgutlong Primary School Safety Initiative will be rolled out in early 2022 before the opening of schools. It will entail the installation of safety signage, pedestrian crossings, and the construction of speed bumps.