Cape Town residents are fuming over the planned road closure for the upcoming Speed Classic motorsport event. The closure, impacting Philip Kgosana Drive, a major traffic artery, is being called a "nightmare" for nearly 100,000 residents by FF Plus councillor Pieter Jansen van Vuuren.
Traffic Woes Worsen: Is Speed Worth the Squeeze?
The event, a two-day festival showcasing historic cars, racing cars, and supercars, will transform a 1.8 km stretch of Philip Kgosana Drive into a motorsport track. However, the closure, spanning from Thursday to Monday, is expected to severely disrupt traffic flow.
According to the Western Cape Department of Infrastructure, over 80,000 vehicles use the road daily, carrying nearly 100,000 commuters. Van Vuuren emphasizes that the impact will be felt by residents across a vast area, from Simon’s Town to the Winelands.
Alternative Venues Ignored?
With Cape Town already grappling with some of the worst traffic congestion globally (ranking seventh on the 2024 INRIX Global Traffic Scorecard), the decision to close such a vital route for five days has been deemed "poorly planned and deeply inconsiderate."
The FF Plus clarifies that they aren't against events boosting tourism and the economy, but argue that these benefits shouldn't come at the expense of residents' basic needs. Van Vuuren suggests that alternative venues near Cape Town could have been used, minimizing disruption. He points out that rerouting traffic to already congested routes will only exacerbate the problem.
The Cape Town Mayor and his administration are yet to fully address the concerns raised by residents and the FF Plus. The situation highlights the ongoing tension between economic development and the daily challenges faced by Capetonians.