Motorists should expect increased congestion in the coming days as cruise liners arrive in the harbour. While Cape Town’s growing reputation as a tourist destination benefits our economy, the City is aware of the inconvenience that increased congestion causes and is implementing mitigation measures where possible.
Also read: Western Cape’s booming cruise industry generates economic windfall
The City anticipates heavy traffic on Thursday, Friday and Saturday due to the docking of the Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria cruise ships in the harbour, particularly during boarding periods.
While a collaborative effort is underway to prevent avoidable traffic jams on and around Nelson Mandela Boulevard, FW De Klerk Boulevard and Buitengracht Street, motorists are encouraged to plan alternate routes around the Waterfront area during peak hours, and passengers scheduled to board are asked to arrive early.
Passengers are asked to use the Christiaan Barnaard and Marine Drive dock entrances rather than the general Waterfront access routes, which will greatly reduce the impact on other road users.
The Queen Victoria is scheduled to arrive at 7am this morning, April 11, and depart at 5:30pm on Friday, April 12. The Queen Mary 2 is scheduled to arrive at 5:30am on Friday and depart at 6pm on Saturday.
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However, these times may be impacted by inclement weather.
‘Our Traffic Signal Operators will monitor conditions on Nelson Mandela Boulevard, FW De Klerk Boulevard and Buitengracht Street closely on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Operators will use CCTV cameras to pinpoint the location and extent of vehicle queues throughout the day and activate appropriate signal timing plans to best manage these queues. The aim is to accommodate heavy traffic flows into the CBD, while also accommodating motorists who are leaving the area,’ said Rob Quintas, the City’s mayoral committee member for urban mobility.
‘Operators will be in constant contact with Cape Town Traffic Services and operations personnel at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. Where appropriate, variable message signs of the Cape Town Freeway Management System will be used to alert motorists to areas of congestion on roadways,’ said Cllr Quintas.
These interventions are supported by City Traffic Service officials, who work with port officials to implement congestion-reduction measures.
‘While these events bring massive economic stimulation, it has been noted that the traffic flow entering into the city becomes impeded during the boarding periods for these cruise liners. Our Traffic Service is working closely with port officials in an attempt to implement measures that will reduce the congestion, as experienced recently on the departure dates. While officials will override and attempt to provide manual pointsman duties across intersections that are timed for conventional traffic flow, passengers who are scheduled to board vessels are encouraged to ensure early arrival. Motorists who would normally commute along roads close to and around the Waterfront are urged to consider alternative routes during these periods. Further advisory notices will be provided to the media closer to such times where an influx of passengers entering the harbour area is to be expected,’ said the City’s mayoral committee member for safety and security, JP Smith.
While traffic congestion is inconvenient at best, it is important to remember that events like these are a sign of economic prosperity, which improves the quality of life for all of our residents.
‘Cape Town has grown massively as a cruise tourism destination. Between 2016 and 2019, each season averaged between 35 and 40 ships arriving at the port in the city. In this 2023/2024 season, the number of ship visits is currently at 67. These gains directly follow the City’s support for the Cruise Cape Town initiative, administered by Wesgro, to promote our destination as one of choice for the cruise travel market.’
‘This is a sector of tourism that is deeply valuable for us with research by Wesgro revealing that cruise tourism injected R1,2 billion into the Western Cape economy between November 2022 and May 2023. In addition, for every 30 arriving cruise passengers, the Western Cape cruise industry created one full-time job. This is worth bearing in mind when considering the thousands of passengers on board the Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria. The City will continue working closely with its partners to make Cape Town stand out on the global cruise travel map,’ said James Vos, the mayoral committee member for economic growth.
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Picture: JP Smith / Facebook
