CAPE TOWN – A Cape Town community has received four high-value e-bikes through a public-private partnership designed to bolster crime-fighting efforts in Northpine, a neighbourhood in Kraaifontein bordering some of the country’s most dangerous areas where criminal activity frequently spills over into the small residential enclave.
The City Improvement District (CID) in Northpine approached Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis requesting additional security measures to patrol the area, prompting the mayor to reach out to local e-mobility company Green Riders with the proposal.
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Green Riders, a proudly South African turnkey green e-mobility provider, focuses on creating significant social and environmental impact.
The company aims to generate 50 000 jobs in the last-mile delivery industry over the next five years by recruiting unemployed, underprivileged youth and training them in their local areas to become delivery riders.
“Our partners are keen to revolutionise the industry from one which is 95% dominated by foreigners to one in which South Africans can make a remarkable impact,” the company states.
E-bikes are significantly cheaper to operate, saving thousands of Rand annually whilst making a substantial contribution to reducing carbon emissions.
Ward councillor for Northpine Grant Twigg says the donation would greatly assist existing security provider SJC Security with visible patrols in the area.
“With the festive season approaching, the timing could not be better,” he says. “The CID is continually looking at ways to better safeguard the area with a bigger security footprint.”
At Thursday evening’s handover ceremony, Hill-Lewis joined security personnel on a ride through the neighbourhood. Hill-Lewis said the City was pleased to assist, noting that community safety is everyone’s business.
Citing the initiative as an example of how a partnership between government, business and the community bears fruit, he said he was impressed by how the residents organised to take responsibility of community safety.
Crime reduction is a process. These additional resources are invaluable to further reduce crime.
Twigg added that the area has seen some reduction in crime over the past five years since the CID’s inception.
“We still see a spillover of drug-related criminal activities from Scottsdene, but there has been improvement in this as well as house burglaries,” Twigg told TygerBurger.
He noted that whilst the community is mostly positive about the CID’s work, unrealistic expectations still exist among some residents.”Crime reduction is a process. These additional resources are invaluable to further reduce crime in Northpine,” he said.
CID chair Mark Smith says the e-bikes will effectively make it possible to cover more ground and have quicker response times.
