2010 motorists to be banned from CBD and Green Point

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hj2k_x

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Motorists will be barred from the city centre and Green Point on match days during the 2010 World Cup.

The ban on vehicles, revealed by an adviser to the province, has immediately sparked concerns that business in the city will grind to a halt.

The no-go zone is meant to ensure stricter security at matches and to allow free movement of spectators. Motorists may be forced to use public transport.

Former provincial 2010 project director Denis Lillie, an adviser to the provincial government, said only event-related vehicles would be allowed access to the city and near Green Point Stadium on match days to prevent traffic chaos.

The city will host at least nine world cup matches, including a semi-final, between June 11 and July 11, 2010.

Lillie said only Fifa vehicles and cars with pre-registration stickers would automatically be allowed into the closed area.

Public transport such as buses and minibus taxis would be allowed access in order to ferry people to the stadium and back.

Those using their vehicles for work would be required to apply for a special pass from organisers or use park-and-ride facilities and be shuttled to the city.

At least 500 new buses were being acquired in preparation for the event.

In a bid to boost public transport, Lillie said, no special parking arrangements had been made for private cars during the tournament.

Non-approved vehicles would be allowed to go only as far as the Castle from the N2 and the Civic Centre from the N1.

Key roads leading to Cape Town station, the Convention Centre and the Green Point 2010 stadium would be car-free and only approved vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists and rickshaw operators would be allowed.

Other exclusion areas include Darling, Strand, Adderley, Wale and Long streets. Portswood Road, Green Point Common, Beach Road and roads leading to the V&A Waterfront would also be no-go zones.

The city's director of transport, Maddie Mazaza, said parking bays in the CBD would not be available during the tournament.

There were no plans to increase the roughly 6 000 kerbside bays as "this could encourage more people to use cars into the CBD because they know there is parking".

City officials say they will focus their energies on organising park-and-ride facilities at public transport interchanges, such as railway stations and bus and taxi ranks.

"The idea is to get people into using public transport. The concern is that there are already too many vehicles coming into the city centre. There seem to be even more private cars on the N2 bus lane than public transport vehicles.

"By 2010 this could escalate and would be difficult to manage," Lillie said.

Law enforcement personnel would be stationed at access points to stop incoming cars.

Even delivery vehicles to businesses and restaurants would have limited access, with deliveries mainly scheduled for night-time.

"People who live in the city will obviously be given stickers, but those who stay outside will unfortunately be turned back," he said.

"This is part of creating a lasting legacy for an effective public transport even beyond the tournament.

"The target is to get at least 30 percent of private car users into public transport by 2010. Lift clubs are being encouraged as an alternative."

Organisers were in negotiations with chambers of commerce and the Department of Trade and Industry to work out staggered business hours on match days.

It had been suggested that businesses should start work and close earlier than usual.

But the Cape Regional Chamber of Commerce raised concerns about the car ban proposal, saying it would have to be done carefully to avoid a negative impact on businesses and the economy.

Its president, Gerald Wolman, said it would require a "perfect public transport plan" if it was to work.

The chamber had been in discussions with organisers about car-free days during matches, but "this will have to be done perfectly and in a co-ordinated manner".

"Sufficient provision must be made to ensure that businesses are not negatively affected. The city needs to come up with a perfect transport system for this to work," Wolman said.

Cosatu provincial secretary Tony Ehrenreich criticised the plans.

"We are concerned about the parking crisis in Cape Town, but it goes back to what we've been saying, that the public transport system needs serious attention," he said.

"The government needs to sort this out before it turns into chaos during the World Cup."
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http://www.capetimes.co.za/?fSectionId=3531&fArticleId=vn20080211112934204C879300

You can say that again!
 
Maybe time to reinstate trams? Whatever they are going to do, they have less than 23 months to do it.
 
I'm just speechless. Really, I just don't know what to say.

You think the country just can't get any more ridiculous, and then it does...
 
CathJ said:
I'm just speechless. Really, I just don't know what to say.

You think the country just can't get any more ridiculous, and then it does...
Click to expand...
What's so ridiculous about this ? Greenpoint stadium is too close to the CBD and it makes sense to bar vehicles closer to kickoff. I am not so sure about closing it off for the whole day though...especially for evening matches
 
Typical... I get inconvienced again for something that doesnt interest me.
 
taking a rental on a cottage with a big screen tv up the west cost for June and July 2010
 
So I guess that if you live in Greenpoint, Seapoint, Granger Bay etc you are trapped? The sea route is not going to handle all of the normal traffic!

Or maybe the Gautrain will save the day?
 
Stop complaining.
You can just take a bus that day.

Oh, wait - yeah - no buses.

What a load of carp this place is.
 
Bageloo said:
What's so ridiculous about this ? Greenpoint stadium is too close to the CBD and it makes sense to bar vehicles closer to kickoff. I am not so sure about closing it off for the whole day though...especially for evening matches
Click to expand...

Do you know how many people work in the CBD? And at the Waterfront? And surrounding areas?

And no, public transport is not a viable option. Not unless they truly get into gear and it sorted before 2010, which I doubt.

Even then, I don't fancy having to fight through crowds of tourists so that I can get to work and back.
 
Moederloos said:
Stop complaining.
You can just take a bus that day.

Oh, wait - yeah - no buses.

What a load of carp this place is.
Click to expand...

I was chatting to a collegue, he said take the train, thats all good, but what happens when you get to Cape Town station and have another 5km to go to work? Taxi's? No way.

Also, what happens if I wanna go to Clifton for the day? Or Camps Bay? LONG DRIVE AHEAD.
 
Moederloos said:
Stop complaining.
You can just take a bus that day.

Oh, wait - yeah - no buses.

What a load of carp this place is.
Click to expand...
What about the
500 new buses were being acquired in preparation for the event.
Click to expand...
or wont that be enough?
dominic said:
taking a rental on a cottage with a big screen tv up the west cost for June and July 2010
Click to expand...
I'm renting out the house to family and taking the kids to Disney World :D
 
"Sufficient provision must be made to ensure that businesses are not negatively affected. The city needs to come up with a perfect transport system for this to work," Wolman said.
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What about the residents? Idiots. :mad:

As if I am going to walk from CT station to my home. Yeah right. :rolleyes:
 
ROFL... "perfect transport system for this to work"... what has this government gotten right? They've failed on the simplest of tasks.
 
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