INLSA

Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson is expected to present from the Top Gear festival in Durban this year.

ARTHI SANPATH

Durban is pulling out all the stops in a race to have the city ready for the popular Top Gear festival in June.

Tenders were advertised yesterday for the infrastructure work that will need to be undertaken in and around the Moses Mabhida Stadium precinct, in time for the proposed festival dates of June 15 to 17.

It is expected that the festival, hosted by presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, including the popular racing character known as The Stig, will draw large crowds, but local ratepayers’ associations and opposition parties have criticised the R31 million price tag needed to host the festival.

The city needs to fork out at least half of that amount for the stadium to be modified to accommodate a skid-pan and stunt circuit, as well as minor roadworks, establishing circuit protection and safety measures that would allow the track to be approved by Motorsport South Africa.

Other costs include R1.5m to provide staircases to make the existing pedestrian bridge functional and R1.3m for metro police and other department support.

In the subsequent two years, R2.5m would be expected each year to establish and de- establish the race track.

As the host city, Durban would ensure that infrastructure was in place and the province would provide the event fee and operational cost. Top Gear’s nominated licensor would manage the event.

However, despite the objections, the city is forging ahead. A site meeting with companies submitting tenders will be held within the next two weeks.

The Top Gear festival was held in Gauteng over the past two years with the first event taking place at Dome in Randburg in 2010 and at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit in March last year.