Cape Town - In a bid to ease traffic congestion along the Atlantic Seaboard, Cape Town traffic officials will control the main entry points on visitors’ favourite beach days such as Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, the city council has announced.
The city council said they were creating plans to avoid a repetition of the previous years’ gridlock and traffic congestion in Sea Point, Bantry Bay, Clifton and Camps Bay on big beach days.
Mayoral committee member for transport Brett Herron called for the public’s help to create a pleasant environment for road users and fun-seekers.
“Those who have visited the Atlantic Seaboard on these days in prior years will know that parking is extremely limited and that it can easily take two to three hours to travel between Sea Point and Camps Bay by car.
“If we opt for public transport or, where possible, walk or cycle, it will be much easier to move around.”
As part of the plans, Herron said traffic would be managed at the main entry points to the Atlantic Seaboard from 9.30am until around 7pm.
Some of the points include:
* At the corner of Main and Glengariff roads in Sea Point.
* Along Helen Suzman Boulevard and Beach Road in Green Point.
* At the corner of Regent and Queens roads in Sea Point.
* At the intersection of Lower Kloof and Kloof roads in Camps Bay.
* At the corner of Victoria and Houghton roads in Camps Bay.
* At the top of Kloof Nek near Tafelberg Road.
He said by closing one lane on each of the above mentioned roads – except for Kloof Nek Road – and stopping traffic at predetermined intervals, traffic service will ensure that a limited number of vehicles at a time will gain entry into the Atlantic Seaboard at these points.
Herron added that by controlling the flow at the entry points there would be relatively free-flowing traffic conditions along Victoria Road, Camps Bay and Clifton, and along Beach Road, Sea Point.
MyCiTi buses, minibus taxis, coaches and chartered public transport services would get first preference at the entry point.
“Those residents and visitors who still prefer to go to these popular spots in their private vehicles should go there well before 9am and should be prepared to experience significant delays on December 26 and January 1, 2016 at the control points.
“Once they have moved beyond these points, however, they may travel along Victoria and Beach roads in reasonable traffic conditions or at least without sitting in heavily congested traffic.”
Cape Argus
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