MEDIA RELEASE
21 NOVEMBER 2008

Cape Town traffic steps up ‘red eye’ road blocks
AS growing numbers of cyclists take to Cape Town’s roads early in the morning - at about the same time that most night club revellers return home - the City of Cape Town has urged all road users to exercise mutual courtesy and consideration.

“The cycling season has begun and hundreds of cyclists are out training at the break of dawn to avoid peak hour traffic,” says Principal Inspector Merle Lourens, spokesperson for Cape Town Traffic Services.

“School and university holidays will soon be in full swing, resulting in greater numbers of party-goers using the city’s roads at the same time. In response to increased traffic volumes during this ‘red eye’ period, the City plans to step up its road blocks across the metropole.

“To ensure the safety of motorists, cyclists and pedestrians, Cape Town Traffic Services has achieved excellent results with its night-time and weekend road blocks, vehicle check points and daily patrols. These are complemented by additional interventions by Metro Police and SA Police Services,” says Lourens.

“But even with the best law enforcement in the world, it is still up to the individual road user to adhere to traffic laws and to practice common courtesy and vigilance at all times.

“Cyclists should ride single file in traffic, stop at all red lights, use hand signals for turns and lane changes and wear bright or reflective clothing - especially when visibility is poor. By the same token, motorists should respect the rights of cyclists and allow bicycles their space on the road,” says Lourens.

The Pedal Power Association (PPA), which represents about 17 000 cyclists, has welcomed the City’s plan to introduce more roadblocks at dawn.

“Our preliminary statistics show that a large proportion of cyclists have been killed or injured in the earlier hours of the morning,” says Steve Hayward, Chairman of the PPA and the Cycle Tour Trust.

“Unfortunately this is the time when a lot of irresponsible drivers are leaving the nightclubs too. Many are under the influence or are simply tired from partying all night.

“We welcome the new Western Cape Liquor Bill, which bans the serving of alcohol after 02h00, as this may go a long way to prevent inebriated drivers being on the road at dawn,” says Hayward.

The PPA is currently collating statistics on the locations of accidents involving cyclists and drunk drivers, which they will correlate with the accident data system of Cape Town Traffic Services.

Hayward urged cyclists to avoid riding alone, and to always carry emergency information with them such as details of the next of kin, medical aid number and blood group.

According to the PPA, popular cycling routes include the Main Road from Woodstock to Simon’s Town, Lakeside to Fish Hoek, Liesbeeck Parkway, Sea Point to Hout Bay, Camps Bay to Sea Point, the Klipfontein corridor, Marine Drive, Boundary Road, Koeberg Road and the Otto du Plessis Drive to Melkbosstrand.

Useful safety tips can be obtained from www.pedalpower.org.za.

Ends

Issued by the Communication Department, City of Cape Town

Media queries: Principal Inspector Merle Lourens, Cape Town Traffic Services, City of Cape Town,
Tel: 021 406 8860 or Cell: 072 200 1512

Steve Hayward, Chairman, Pedal Power Association, Cell: 084 303 4294