Cape Town - As life slowly returns to normal, motorists will have to find new parking spots as parking bays on Darling Street have been turned into pavements.
Thirty-four streets in the Cape Town CBD, ranging from St John’s Street all the way to Old Marine Drive, among which Darling Street is part, will be made more pedestrian-friendly.
Weekend Argus reader Michael Giokos was driving around the CBD when he noticed that parking at his favourite spot was no longer available.
“I always parked in front of the City Hall and I saw some work being done there but I thought it was an upgrade of old parking bays.
“Parking has been free since the start of the pandemic but now they removed the parking bays which will make life difficult for us motorists when more people return to businesses and work.”
With the ailing public transport system and infrastructure, more people are using their private vehicles and parking in the CBD is either difficult to find or considered expensive.
“Private parking is a big business in the CBD and this move to remove parking by the municipality is not sitting well with me,” said Giokos.
“It is also dangerous to park further away from the CBD, cars get broken into.”
Spokesperson for the City Luthando Tyhalibongo said the turning of the parking bays into pavements was part of the City’s non-motorised transport (NMT) programme, focusing on areas with high pedestrian volumes.
“The work includes the placing of new barrier kerbs; edgings; dropped kerbs and ramps for pedestrians in wheelchairs and special needs, tactile tiles for those with impaired sight, and provision of additional space for prams and others with special needs.”
He said the project sought to create universal access and ensure that the many pedestrians moving around the CBD get to places of work, schools, businesses, among others, and are able to do so safely.
He said the City would resume charging a tariff for the use of on-street parking bays in the Cape Town CBD to ensure a turnover of bays for those visiting the area.
“Parking marshals will be deployed to the Cape Town CBD, Claremont and Newlands before the end of November, in time for the festive season.
“Marshals were deployed in Sea Point on November 2 already.”
It costs R50 to park for between 4, 5 and 9 hours in the CBD.
Weekend Argus