Nondumiso Hlengwa drove off with a brand-new Toyota Quantum vehicle in the City’s Safe to School, Safe to Home Scholar Transport Awards ceremony.

 

Hlengwa was among eight finalists who recorded no transgressions over the monitoring period despite them all driving more than 4 000 kilometres during that time.

 

She was selected through an electronic lucky draw. The remaining seven finalists received a cheque of R10 000 each.

 

Hlengwa said winning the Quantum will allow her to grow her business.

“I will now be able to transport additional children. I was transporting learners with my Toyota Avanza and had to turn some children away who requested transport because there was no space, and I did not want to overload the vehicle. The safety of learners is always my priority,” she said.

 

The City partnered with Road Safety Partnership South Africa, Netstar, and Toyota South Africa Motors for the project.

Its main aim is to contribute towards the reduction in death and injury of school children in road crashes en route to and from school. 

 

The selection of drivers and training for the programme commenced in 2019. Approximately 150 drivers from the south and west regions were trained over the course of three years.

 

The drivers were scored according to the number of transgressions the tracking devices detected during their drives to school and then during the trip home.

The transgressions included speeding, harsh acceleration, and harsh braking. Drivers were rewarded with fuel vouchers in each period for the least transgressions per kilometre.

 

ENDS