Cape Town to spend R481 million on fixing traffic – but it really needs businesses on board with flexi-time

The City of Cape Town has announced that it plans to invest R481 million over the next three years in an effort to cut down on congestion in the city.

In a statement released on Thursday (7 June), the City’s mayoral committee member for transport and urban development, Brett Herron, said that the City wanted to improve mobility in Cape Town for all travellers – be it by cycling, car, minibus-taxi, bus or train.

This will include expanding the network of safe sidewalks and cycle lanes with the non-motorised transport funding we receive from National Government, he said.

“For those using private vehicles, we are well aware of the congestion on our roads, the frustration this causes, its impact on our city’s productivity and residents’ quality of life.

“Thus, as far as congestion relief is concerned, the TDA has allocated R481 million over the next three financial years for the construction of new road infrastructure in congestion hotspots around Cape Town.”

He added that some of the projects are under way and include the dualling of Kommetjie Road in the Far South; Belhar Main Road and Erica Drive in Belhar; and Langverwacht Road in Kuils River.

“Coupled with these infrastructure projects, we need residents to work with us by making use of public transport as far as possible, and for private business to implement flexible working hours so that we can divert traffic away from our road network during the peak hour periods,” he said.

“On this note I want to add that there will be no increase in on-street parking bay tariffs for the next financial year. Thus, those making use of on-street parking bays will pay the same tariff until 30 June 2019.”

Cape Town has frequently been named as having some of the worst traffic congestion in the country, with a recent BusinessTech report finding that it can take up to 54% longer than normal to do a trip in peak hour traffic.

Originally announced in 2017, Cape Town’s flexi-time proposal hoped to remedy this by introducing flexible working hours, compressed work weeks, as well as incentives for carpooling, public transport and parking.

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