Open Streets Day a massive hit in Bellville

A section of Voortrekker Road in Bellville was transformed with the celebration of Open Streets Day. Picture: David Ritchie

A section of Voortrekker Road in Bellville was transformed with the celebration of Open Streets Day. Picture: David Ritchie

Published Nov 21, 2016

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Cape Town - It’s one of Cape Town’s busiest streets and usually congested with an array of traffic. But on Sunday, Voortrekker Road in Bellville had people skateboarding, cycling, gumboot dancing and singing.

The section between the intersections of Durban Road and Oos Street was declared a car-free zone for the day in celebration of Open Streets Day - and people came out to play.

“The intention of Open Streets in Cape Town is to demonstrate that streets can connect people across social and spatial divides,” said Marcela Guerrero, managing director for Open Streets Cape Town.

She said it drew inspiration from Bogotá's CiclovÃa, which transforms 120km of streets across the Colombian capital every Sunday and public holiday.

On Sunday Sibuyisile Dywili, 16, who teaches gumboot dancing to children from the age of seven, was putting his team through their paces. The teenager works with children in Bloekombos, Kraaifontein, and said his aim is to give them an alternative to gangsterism. Sibuyiselo, who started training sessions late last year, trains about 26 kids from his community.

Last month, the city celebrated Open Streets in Langa. The Cape Town central business district is set to host an Open Streets Day on January 15, followed by the fourth and last in Mitchells Plain on April 2.

Michael Abrahams, 32, was also taking advantage of the open opportunity.

He paints and trains youth in Delft in Capoeira which is a Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance and music. He said that he wanted to inspire the youth to further their dreams.

“I want people to be inspired, especially with kids, as gangsterism is taking over our communities. I want to give back to the community and show that life is not about gangsterism and drugs.

“It’s all about adding value to the community. If it’s not singing, it’s dancing or creativity, just anything to keep a child busy through meaningful activities,” he said.

Tristan Bellingan, started his company Push Skateboarding in 2010, and has been training 20 youth from various communities.

“Skateboarding is very challenging but when you get it right, you feel uplifted. It’s like a basic human emotion,” he said.

Brett Herron, mayco member of Transport for Cape Town said Open Streets focused attention on transport possibilities beyond those offered by private cars.

“I want to encourage Capetonians to opt for walking and cycling for shorter trips. It is a healthy way of getting around for our bodies and the environment,” he said.

“We are experiencing the demoralising consequences of growing private vehicle use in Cape Town on a daily basis.

“Congestion is a familiar sight on our major arterial routes during peak-hour traffic and it’s getting worse every year.

“As such, it is high time we rethink how we move around the city and what we can do to make our city function better,” he added.

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Cape Argus

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