Have you ever attempted to cross Long Street on those bustling and sweltering Cape Town evenings? Cars hooting and irate pedestrians screaming while casually walking across the street creates a certain ambience that you won‘t find anywhere else in South Africa.
However, there‘s some good news for those looking to walk the streets of Cape Town minus the senseless chaos as South Africa‘s legislative capital has recently announced that it will be creating car-free zones for safe outdoor dining.
With the new Omicron variant bulldozing international travel plans this festive season, the move is aimed at helping restaurants during this often busy period as the City attempts to do what it can to support the battling tourism and restaurant industries, reports IOL.
“While we cannot help every restaurant, we hope this innovation will make a positive difference in the lives of many hospitality workers,” indicated Cape Town‘s new mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis via a statement.
“Innovative thinking is needed to help get our economy through this wave, and we are committed to doing what we can,” added Hill-Lewis.
Cape Town residents don’t have to wait too long as the first car-free zone will be set up on Saturday in a section of the main street in the CBD from 2pm to 11pm and will expand to other streets, including Long Street.
The City of Cape Town has been hard at work as it attempts to counteract the devasting effects of the travel bans imposed on South Africa. The Pocket-Friendly Challenge, which was launched in partnership with Cape Town Tourism, aims to offer locals a chance to view their city with renewed awe by offering discounts on flights, accommodation and attractions around the Mother City.
Hill-Lewis has also encouraged citizens to support their local restaurants this festive season.
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Picture: Cape {town} Etc Gallery