A community leader from Elsies River says a plan by the City of Cape Town to create universally accessible walking lanes, bicycle parking and other non-motorised transport facilities in Elsies River is frivolous expenditure.
The City’s urban mobility directorate last week invited residents and affected parties to comment on the proposal to build these lanes and parking in different areas, including Elsies River.
According to the City’s Mayco member for urban mobility Rob Quintas the new infrastructure is intended to improve road safety for pedestrians in particular. “We are rolling various programmes out to provide safer, more accessible non-motorised transport (NMT) spaces for pedestrians and cyclists. Residents from these areas are encouraged to have their say on the proposals.
“We urge residents please to send us their comments and recommendations on the City’s plans to expand the NMT network to improve road safety for pedestrians, cyclists, those using wheelchairs, people with prams and schoolchildren. This expansion includes footways, signage and intersection improvements that are universally accessible. With the communities’ input we can ensure the improvements and infrastructure we implement suit their needs for enhanced safety and access. I want to add that up to 10% of people in Cape Town walk to their destinations. Their safety is one of our top-priorities,” he says.
The construction of the non-motorised transport facilities are proposed to be implemented along the list of roads and streets below:
- 16th Avenue from Connaught Road to Florida Street
- Adriaanse Avenue up to Owen Road
- Balvenia Avenue from Valhalla Drive to Bertha Road
- Connaught Road from Arum Road to Hofmeyer Street
- Epping Avenue from Halt Road to Jan van Riebeeck Drive
- Halt Road from Voortrekker Road to Owen Road
- Norwood Road from Epping Avenue to Balvenia Avenue
- Owen Road from Valhalla Drive to Connaught Road
- Ullswater Road from Florida Street to De La Rey Road.
The commenting period for this area closes on 3 September.
The City plans to host a public open day on 22 August from 18:00 to 20:00 at the Elsies River Civic Centre for residents who would like to engage with City officials on the proposals.
Iraahn Mukkadam, a community leader, a keen cyclist himself, says you can’t have a cycle lane if the cyclist themselves are not safe in the area because of the high crime.
“I have to load our bikes onto a bakkie and go cycling in Bothasig and Welgemoed, because it’s too risky to cycle in Elsies. We have to ensure that the cycle routes are safe, the City must invest in community patrollers in our hotspots and our CBD at the bridge. We have serious problems with smash and grabs, we have pedestrian robberies on a daily basis, we have very reckless taxi drivers on the Elsies/Parow route so these are all challenges that should be prioritised and addressed before a cycle lane can be practical,” says Mukkadem.
He says he sees cycle lanes in more affluent areas that are not even being used.
“Who did the needs analyses to identify cycle lanes as a priority in Elsies River? The City has too much budget for frivolous expenditure and too little for reducing crime in our community,” says Mukkadem.
Send an email to transport.News@capetown.gov.za or visit www.capetown.gov.za/haveyoursay to comment on the proposals.
