The Methodist Church in Wellington is among several organisations that received bicycles from the Western Cape’s Mobility Department on Saturday (25 October).
Mobility MEC Isaac Sileku handed over the bicycles in Idas Valley, Stellenbosch, with the organisations in attendance. According to the department, the gifting of the bicycles forms part of the Provincial Sustainable Transport Programme (PSTP). This also forms part of the department’s ongoing efforts to improve safe, affordable, and sustainable mobility across the Western Cape.
“The Bicycle Distribution Project, one of the flagship initiatives under the PSTP, aims to empower communities by providing bicycles, safety training, and basic maintenance support to beneficiaries who have to walk long distances to school, work, or community activities.”
The programme was launched in 2019 and over the course of six years, more than 2,500 bicycles have been distributed across the Western Cape to learners, neighbourhood watches and community-based organisations.
“A bicycle may look simple, but it represents freedom, dignity, and opportunity. Through this programme, we are helping learners get to school on time, supporting workers to save money on transport, and giving neighbourhood watches the means to patrol their communities more effectively,” says Sileku.
“The handover is another example of what is possible when government, municipalities, and communities work together to make mobility safer and more accessible for everyone. These bicycles will go a long way in strengthening community safety, promoting wellness, and creating opportunity.”
In total, 44 bicycles were handed over at the event and will be distributed to local organisations, which include: Idas Valley Community Trails, Angels of Hope Community Development Organisation, Methodist Church of South Africa in Wellington Prochorus, Hillside Village Neighbourhood Watch and Juffernbrugh Street Neighbourhood Watch.
Reginald Pheiffer, Stellenbosch Municipality councillor, said: “We are proud to partner with the Mobility Department on this initiative, which supports our vision of a connected and inclusive Stellenbosch. Projects like this show how collaboration can bring real change, helping communities move more freely, improving safety on our roads, and encouraging healthy, sustainable living.”
