Cape Town’s major highways are seeing measurable changes in safety patterns, as expanded patrols, faster response times and increased surveillance begin to reshape how incidents are handled on some of the city’s busiest routes.
Over more than a decade, the City has steadily widened its footprint along key corridors such as the N2, N1, N7 and R300.
This has included the deployment of Metro Police, the Traffic Service’s Highway Patrol Unit and the Ghost Squad, with a recent boost of 37 additional Metro Police officers around Cape Town International Airport and surrounding roads.
Figures shared by the City of Cape Town suggest that these efforts are translating into fewer serious incidents. During the most recent festive season, nine serious incidents were recorded on the N2, half the number logged during the same period in 2024.
Looking at the past seven months, since July 2025, the City’s Public Emergency Communication Centre (PECC) has logged 8 552 calls for assistance across all major highways.
Of these, just 86 incidents, slightly over one percent, were crime-related. Over the same period, 148 arrests were made through highway patrol operations.
Some of those arrests have been linked to serious criminal activity. On 8 January, a suspect apprehended at the N1/N7 interchange for possession of a dangerous weapon was later connected to multiple house robberies.
On the same day, another suspect was arrested in Montana following a foot chase after allegedly threatening a motorist at gunpoint on the Airport Approach slip road onto the N2 outbound.
However, the data also paints a broader picture of what officers deal with daily. Mechanical breakdowns, flat tyres and vehicles running out of fuel remain the most common call-outs.
‘The data shows that mechanical breakdowns and other vehicle-related faults like flat tyres and running out of petrol are what our officers attend to most, to assist and protect motorists,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.
He added that attacks on motorists make up only a small fraction of reported incidents, despite heightened concern on social media platforms.
‘Over the last few months, there’ve been numerous social media reports of attacks, but the advice to the public would be to report such incidents to SAPS, but also our Public Emergency Communication Centre, to ensure a proper record and response,’ Smith said.
Technology has also played a growing role. Even without a direct call for help, incidents are often detected through the City’s camera network.
Between 1 September 2024 and 11 January 2026, CCTV operators identified 1 061 incidents among the 2 895 motorists assisted on the N2 between Langa and Firgrove.
Response times have also improved. Since July 2025, 80% of highway incidents were attended to within five minutes. On the R300, nearly three-quarters of incidents received a response in that same timeframe.
As part of its longer-term approach, the City rolled out its Freeway Management Plan in September 2024, gradually increasing resources across six major highways. One of the persistent challenges, Smith noted, is criminals entering and exiting highways with relative ease.
More effective walling could help limit escape routes, reduce foot traffic along the N2 and bring added benefits such as lower noise levels and fewer animals straying onto the roadway.
These measures, he said, would complement enforcement efforts, expanded CCTV coverage and improved use of EPIC data.
Smith also pointed to wider pressures within the criminal justice system, noting concerns around policing capacity and prosecutions.
‘Already we struggle to see meaningful investment in tackling major crimes like our murder rate and the proliferation of illegal firearms, and even less interest in tackling crimes considered lower priority,’ he outlined.
Residents and motorists are urged to report emergencies or suspicious activity to the City’s Public Emergency Communication Centre on 021 480 7700, providing details such as the time, exact location and a brief description to support a swift and accurate response.
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