Invercargill firm lends hand with old bikes for Africa

Tulloch Transport trucks in support for World Vision

Thanks to Invercargill trucking firm, Tulloch Transport, 105 traded-in bikes from the lower half of the South Island will be shortly on their way to Africa.

South Islanders responded enthusiastically to Avanti’s March campaign to trade in their old bikes for Africa. Avanti offered a $150 trade-in on an old bike for a new Avanti Atomic mountain bike. The old bikes are to be used by World Vision community workers in South Africa.

Tulloch Transport picked up over 100 bikes from Invercargill, Dunedin, Timaru, Alexandra and Oamaru, and transported them to Christchurch this week, free of charge. The bikes were then shipped to Auckland where Avanti workers will mend the bikes and make sure they’re roadworthy, and the 400 bikes from around New Zealand will then be freighted to Durban, South Africa, courtesy of Oceanbridge Transport.

Says World Vision CEO, Helen Green: “Tulloch Transport played an important part in this campaign, donating thousands of dollars worth of freight. It is very much appreciated by World Vision.”

Mrs Green says World Vision community workers in South Africa will use the bikes in their work with HIV/AIDS patients in poor, rural villages.

“Often there isn’t any public transport so a bike is the only way of getting around, and for transporting goods for market. But bikes are expensive, so sometimes people have made their own bike or they have an extremely old one. New Zealanders’ old bikes will definitely be put to good use in Africa,” she says.

Managing Director of Tulloch Transport, Ian Tulloch expressed his delight in being part of the project. “Helping out with the freight is what we can personally do for people living in poverty – it’s good to feel that there is a practical way we can help.”