The South African government announced on Thursday that it will give a million bicycles to school children throughout the country by 2015 to promote non-motorized transport (NMT).

Transport Minister Jeff Radebe told an international conference on NMT in Johannesburg that there was a need to provide safe, affordable and reliable transport to pupils in rural and urban areas.

The Shova Kalula (Pedal Easy) project would include the construction of dedicated bicycle pathways, bicycle safety education and the promotion and provision of bicycles, in partnership with the private sector and the civil society.

The minister said it would go a long way to popularizing cycling as a mode of transport in society, particularly in the run-up to the 2010 World Cup.

"Global experiences in the previous soccer world cup tournaments indicate very clearly that NMT plays a key role to ensure effective utilization of space and mobility of people in a manner that is environmentally friendly and affordable to plan and implement," he said.

However, a major barrier was the high risk of crashes on roads, he said, pointing out that the Human Science Research Council had found that 43 cyclists were killed in road accidents in Pretoria in 2005.

Another mode of NMT which would receive attention was the animal-drawn carts rural communities had relied on for many years to access schools, clinics, pension pay-points and all other social services.

Animal welfare issues would be taken into account, said Radebe.

He said the transport department had already developed a database of suppliers of non-motorized carts and bicycles and related technology, and this would be continuously updated.