Capetonians have been feeling the ache of visitors congestion throughout the town, and have been left pissed off with only a few avenues to direct that frustration.
By way of informal dialog, anecdotal proof, and world analysis, it’s clear that the influence Cape City visitors has on the lives of individuals and time they lose because of this.
Again in January, the 2024 INRIX International Site visitors Scorecard revealed Cape City to be the ninth most congested metropolis on the earth, and that visitors was 13% worse than the earlier 12 months.
The 12 months earlier than that, Cape City was in the identical place on the identical index.
INRIX says its 2024 International Site visitors Scorecard offers essentially the most up-to-date methodology for understanding motion in city areas throughout the globe.
The INRIX survey revealed that Capetonians, on common, expertise a delay of 94 hours per 12 months, versus the time they’d have spent in the event that they had been driving throughout quieter, off-peak intervals. This ‘delay’ was 83 hours in 2023.
Commute instances are calculated by wanting solely on the time it takes to get to and from main employment facilities inside an city space from surrounding commuting neighborhoods, and its latest methodology consists of correct estimates of commuting distances utilizing precise, noticed journeys.
Numerous Cape City drivers have weighed in, with some bearing on the time misplaced, total frustrations and potential causes. We’ve eliminated particulars which are too particular simply to make sure their security.
Cameron G. mentioned: “I dwell in Simon’s City and work within the CBD. I drive in every single day. It takes over an hour to get house within the night. Leaving after 6pm doesn’t assist since there’s nonetheless visitors.
“The Metropolis must implement a bypass that enables automobiles from Philip Kgosana to bypass the entire hospital bend intersection and rejoin the M3 close to UCT. The town was additionally planning on constructing an extra lane previous UCT heading within the course of city. Nevertheless, they wanted to demolish the footbridge to do this and there have been objections from a couple of native residents to this plan as a result of they mentioned they used the footbridge to stroll their canine on the mountain.
“The Metropolis has additionally deliberate for a very long time to reorganise the intersections by means of Newlands on the M3 however that is taking years and so they haven’t even began the method. The undertaking is barely within the planning levels it appears, by the point these initiatives are carried out it will likely be too late.”
Robin-Lee F: “Initially, I drove into the CBD with my very own automobile from Desk View. It was an excessive nightmare and I used to be continuously late as a result of non-working visitors lights and taxi accidents. Koeberg Highway, previous the refinery, is backed up and taxis are driving recklessly – coupled with damaged visitors lights – which frequently leaves all drivers in a frenzy. No visitors officers on responsibility and this normally causes mayhem.
“We frequently see taxis simply driving within the MyCiTi bus lane. I then used Marine Drive, one other headache as visitors stays bumper to bumper, taxis do the very same factor with no regard for the foundations of the highway. I then began touring with the MyCiTi bus as a result of I assumed it would be cheaper and fewer visitors because it has its personal driving lane.
“Effectively, I may simply have stayed with my automobile. Travelling with the bus is harmful. I get a bus to the CBD from Woodstock Station and by the point the bus will get to this station persons are already packed into the buses like sardines.”
Kayla W: “We get to work in the future every week from house. We even have workplaces in Stellenbosch which is less complicated for me to get to by way of travelling time, so I can work from there as soon as every week. After which our foremost workplace is within the CBD. I go away house at 6am and it takes me anyplace from one hour to 1 hour 20 minutes to get to work from Brackenfell.
“I can go away at 2pm every day to keep away from visitors after which I go online once more at house to overlook the visitors. We will additionally come into the workplace later if want be, so we now have very versatile journey instances so long as we get our work carried out and work our hours every day.”
Storm S: “It’s horrible. At the moment, I go away house at 6am and I get house at 6:30pm. I’ve been driving the identical route for eight years and annually it will get even worse. Which I truthfully don’t know how.
“At current, it’s had a really unfavorable influence on my life. I’m at present within the course of of adjusting hours. The largest concern is looking for time for all the pieces. Looking for time to train, get sufficient sleep, not eat at 9pm, spending high quality time with my husband, doing grocery buying, and so forth.
“At the moment we now have to tag staff all the pieces however there simply isn’t sufficient time to have a balanced life-style… I’ve needed to cut back my hours which implies a pay lower. And that isn’t nice in at this time’s financial system both.”
Tammy H: “I do business from home and do not journey into the CBD… however it could be pretty if they may get our freight system working higher in order that there are fewer vehicles on the highway. They mess up infrastructure, trigger the worst accidents and sluggish visitors down a lot.”
Mayco Member for City Mobility, Rob Quintas, mentioned that considered one of challenges with Cape City is that quickly, its inhabitants will surpass Johannesburg’s, and that this inflow is already including to extra visitors on our roads
“Cape City is a rising metropolis. Cities are dynamic; not static. No single metropolis can stay unchanged when it wants to supply for an inflow of individuals.”
He mentioned that Cape City’s common automobile occupancy stays low, at simply 1.57 individuals per automobile within the morning peak and 1.52 within the afternoon peak (together with the motive force).
“These woefully insufficient occupancy ranges place unsustainable stress on the highway community and underscore the necessity for extra environment friendly, high-occupancy, and sustainable transport options.”
The Metropolis at present has a proposed Mobility and Entry Plan for the Cape City CBD open for remark, and can also be busy with its Foreshore Feasibility Research to sort out among the congestion points raised.
The Mobility and Entry Plan is included as a part of the draft native spatial improvement framework (LSDF) for the Cape City CBD that’s obtainable for public remark till 11 Might 2025.
In the meantime, the Foreshore Feasibility Research is underneath method and has not been concluded as but. “A key precedence is to develop an built-in transport and land use resolution for the Foreshore Precinct.
“The present freeway viaducts carry important visitors in the course of the morning and afternoon peak intervals. The scoping research is geared toward creating the optimum transport and land use resolution to make sure long-term funding and financial progress of the Central Metropolis and Atlantic Seaboard, whereas maximising the precinct’s public amenity worth and improvement potential,” Quintas mentioned.
He additionally touted different efforts, such because the City Mobility Directorate allocating R294 million for highway initiatives to alleviate visitors congestion at stress factors in Kuils River (Amandel Highway and Saxdowns Highway upgrades), Durbanville, Belhar (Erica Drive), Salt River (Voortrekker Highway), Maitland (Berkley Highway), alongside the M3 freeway and Kommetjie Foremost Highway over the subsequent three years as a part of its proposed price range for the medium-term.
He added that the City Mobility Directorate’s proposed capital price range over the medium-term, beginning on 1 July 2025 till 30 June 2028, quantities to over R7,9 billion, with some key priorities being:
“Nevertheless, to maintain on increasing highway capability is extraordinarily costly and time consuming, and solely offers short-term reduction as proof reveals that the brand new roads and lanes are solely attracting extra personal automobiles onto the highway community.
“The problem is getting individuals onto public transport. That is our first technique in combatting congestion. We want individuals on buses the place the MyCiTi bus service operates with passenger rail because the spine of public transport, as is the case elsewhere on the earth.
“Congestion is symptomatic of financial progress, and this a lot is evidenced by the opposite cities, however it’s crucial that residents decide to a paradigm shift in how we get from A to B.
“Nevertheless, the onus can’t be laid squarely on the ft of the commuters – and that’s the reason the Metropolis is pushing so arduous not just for the devolution of passenger rail, however investing massively in our personal public transport providers.”
He added that the Metropolis can also be exploring the implementation of recent lanes and infrastructure which are reserved for the usage of public transport automobiles solely.
“It will deliver a higher return on the excessive prices of increasing highway capability and is aligned with the Metropolis’s goal of prioritising public transport and can facilitate a modal shift from personal automobiles to public transport providers over time.”
theolin.tembo@inl.co.za
