Important new rules for anyone using the iconic Sea Point Promenade

Can this city just get over itself already. The DA is also trying their damndest to outlaw electric scooters in Stellenbosch. Its like they want to return to the dark ages.
 
Old bullets and biddies with zero riding skills on e-bikes are a source of stress for me. They sneak up on you in silence at 40km/h and have no idea how to control their bikes. They also like to get huffy when someone gets in their way.
 
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notayoba said:
Old bullets and biddies with zero riding skills on e-bikes are a source of stress for me. They sneak up on you in silence at 40km/h and have no idea how to control their bikes. They also like to get huffy when someone gets in their way.
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Or they hoot at you like you're in the way???
 
The measures include a Sea Point Promenade Management Protocol, which will set a maximum speed limit of 8 km/h, establish pedestrian right-of-way, and prohibit reckless riding.
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Why doesn't the speed limit apply to normal bicycles?
 
wingnut771 said:
The problem is people don't know how to ride and end up taking out pedestrians in the process. What is your solution?
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The standard solution to all such problems. Police the individuals who can't behave properly. You don't overregulate the e-bikes and scooters, you just enforce the existing rules properly. If someone is behaving like an idiot - whether it a runner, cyclist, rollerblader or e-scooter user - police the individual. The regulations for this already exist.
 
TofuMofu said:
Or they hoot at you like you're in the way???
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Ha yes, very irritating. I'm not in Cape Town, But I do have a beach front walkway near my house where I walk my dogs every morning.

It's like driving on a highway, before you dare to step left or right you have to look in your blind spot in case some geriatric on an e-bike is coming for you at max speed.

There is also a group of kids with their mountain bikes that like to build ramps etc. , but they have better manners and more skill than the oldies.
 
Zellephant said:
The standard solution to all such problems. Police the individuals who can't behave properly. You don't overregulate the e-bikes and scooters, you just enforce the existing rules properly. If someone is behaving like an idiot - whether it a runner, cyclist, rollerblader or e-scooter user - police the individual. The regulations for this already exist.
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That's the problem, they aren't behaving like idiots, they don't know how to ride (because its their first time) and get into trouble and cant control the thing. What is the fine for an accident?
 
Also, 8km/h??? are they smoking their socks? Will this apply to rollerbladers and runners as well? I run on the prom at least once a week - am I going to get a speeding ticket for running at 14km/h.

All they need to do is enforce a keep left/pass right rule - and maybe split lanes for pedestrian traffic and all forms of wheeled traffic - problem solved. Then, as I said, enforce the rules against those people actually behaving badly. but 8KM/h is just stupid
 
wingnut771 said:
That's the problem, they aren't behaving like idiots, they don't know how to ride (because its their first time) and get into trouble and cant control the thing. What is the fine for an accident?
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Well, that sounds to me like they are being a public nuisance - for which there are already bylaws. They can be nicelly asked to leave the park - and if they refuse, they can be forcefully removed. Their "vehicle" can be impounded by the city under the existing bylaws.
 
Zellephant said:
Well, that sounds to me like they are being a public nuisance - for which there are already bylaws. They can be nicelly asked to leave the park - and if they refuse, they can be forcefully removed. Their "vehicle" can be impounded by the city under the existing bylaws.
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I'm talking about tourists who rent them on the same promenade they crash on but I do agree that we have enough laws.
 
wingnut771 said:
I'm talking about tourists who rent them on the same promenade they crash on but I do agree that we have enough laws.
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Tourists need to be treated the same under that law. Rental e-bikes are normal in cities all over the world, and all over the world, the rules are the same for locals and tourists. If the tourist is a public nuisance, you remove them from the park the same way you would have with a local.
 
Zellephant said:
Tourists need to be treated the same under that law. Rental e-bikes are normal in cities all over the world, and all over the world, the rules are the same for locals and tourists. If the tourist is a public nuisance, you remove them from the park the same way you would have with a local.
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What are the rules at the moment?
 
wingnut771 said:
What are the rules at the moment?
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The City of Cape Town already has broad powers under existing by-laws to deal with dangerous or irresponsible e-bike and scooter use on the Sea Point Promenade, without necessarily needing a blanket 8 km/h rule. Existing legislation focuses on dangerous conduct, risky activities and the regulation of vehicles in public parks.


  • Streets, Public Places and Prevention of Noise Nuisances By-law – s15: prohibits a person in a public place from doing anything “which may endanger the life or safety of any person or animal.” This could already cover high-speed riding, weaving through pedestrians or other reckless behaviour.
  • Public Parks By-law – s11: prohibits “any activity which may pose a risk” and also prohibits unruly, antisocial or disturbing behaviour in a public park.
  • Public Parks By-law – s13: regulates bringing “a bicycle, motorcycle, motorcar or any other vehicle” into a public park and allows the City to impose different conditions for different vehicles and parks.
  • Public Parks By-law – s13: expressly provides that “The Director: City Parks may determine the speed limit applicable in a public park.” In other words, the City already has a mechanism for setting appropriate speed limits without necessarily creating a new by-law.
  • Public Parks By-law – s16: authorised officials may “give instructions to or direct the public … to act in a specific manner whilst at the public park.” This provides a basis for officers to instruct dangerous riders to stop riding, slow down or dismount.
  • Enforcement: failure to comply with lawful instructions or the applicable by-laws can constitute an offence. However, the existing by-laws provide a much clearer basis for stopping, fining or directing riders than for simply confiscating an e-bike or scooter. A specific new impoundment provision may therefore be justified, whereas entirely new rules governing dangerous riding arguably are not.

In short, the legal tools to police irresponsible behaviour largely already exist; the real question is whether the City is enforcing them effectively.

(This is courtesy of chatGPT)
 
Too complicated.

Issue pedestrians with .22 pistols and encourage them to ping the a-holes. Self regulating.

Soon nobody will use the promenade and everything will be sorted.
 
The problem is not the e-bikes it’s riding them on the promenade which should be reserved for human powered traffic only because it gets so busy.
But the real issue in this instance is the e-bike rentals on the promenade purposely for people to ride on the promenade, which puts hordes of clueless joy riders who weave in and out of pedestrians at high speeds. I've experienced it and it’s not fun to take a stroll there anymore, I've almost been mowed done a few times so I'm now always on edge, quite a few pedestrians have been taken out and riders have had some very serious injuries, shocked totally unsurprising...

They could leave everything as it is but ban the e-bike rentals and revert to the human powered rentals only as it was before and the problem would be solved. The issue isn't people riding their own e-bikes, though I would specifically ban them on the promenade itself just because considering the huge pedestrian traffic it’s not the place for them but it’s the rental e-bike hordes that have stuffed it up for everyone.
 
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