The Eastern Cape Department of Transport Chris Hani District has started a learner driver development project for 10 grade 11 learners.
This project is developed as a skills development initiative to promote high level skills needed for further growth and is intended to facilitate and promote Traffic Safety knowledge in order to change the behaviour and attitude of young learners on the road and to instil a culture of safe traffic participation
The aim of this initiative is to have these learners understand the rules of the road based on K53 system of vehicle control, discuss problems pertaining to road usage and unnecessary deaths on our roads and have them develop proper attitude towards the usage of the road environment.
The project is targeted to young people particularly those from disadvantaged communities, as they have limited access to driving lessons and Road Safety education whilst at school, as a result of that when they graduate after grade 12 chances of employment are delayed and limited due to lack of driver’s license.
As a result of budgetary constraints, negotiations were held with local Municipalities at Chris Hani District to forge partnership on this project, with the view of a common goal that of serving the community through service delivery.
Nkwanca Municipality was the first local Municipality to respond on this call and has agreed to start with 10 learners (five from Joe Slovo and five from Siyaphakama Senior Secondary School. The affected schools and School Governing Body’s assisted Nkwanca municipality in selecting the 10 learners.
The programme encompasses the following:
Phase 1
Constitutes driver development manual
- The manual deals with how road users should behave on the road environment
- Effective communication on the road
- Variables contributing to road accidents/collisions
- Effects of drugs and alcohol use
- Aggression, Bravado, Inconsiderateness in the road environment
- Learners will be tested on what they have learnt on manual
- The learners who pass the manual will qualify to proceed to the second phase
Phase 2
- K-53 Learner’s License Test Book – learners will be trained by project team and will undergo an official learner’s license test at a local registered testing station, where they will be issued with Learner’s Licences if they pass.
- This covers rules of the road
- Traffic signs
- How the road user should conduct himself/herself on the road
- K53 DVD to acquaint learners with exactly what is expected on the day when they will be practically tested by a registered testing officer at a local registered testing station.
Phase 3
Learners will be trained on practical driving by a legal registered driving school. This training will be followed by a practical driving test at a local/official testing station. Those who pass during this phase will be issued with Legal Drivers Licenses.
The project is expected to be completed next year April and learners that pass all phases will be issued with a valid driver’s licences at the end of the project.
Source: Eastern Cape Department of Transport
