Leon Sheinbar,Sea Point
I want to bring up an old issue, but to the elderly, especially, a most important fact.
It is great to see how the hiring of cycles has grown and good luck to these entrepreneurs for being so hard-working and successful, but this is to the authorities and it is only a suggestion.
Could the cyclists rather use the original pavement running alongside the beachfront and leave the boardwalk (Sea Point Promenade) for people of all ages who walk, and not run the riskof being knocked down and injured almost every five minutes? A large number of the seniors from all over Cape Town use walkers, and are therefore at a disadvantage of quickly having to “get out of the way” of a speeding bicycle.
Unlike on a public road where there is a speed limit, on the boardwalk there is none. I look forward to some response to my request.
Brett Herron, Mayco member for transport, responds:
I want to thank Ms Sheinbar for the suggestion.
The Sea Point Promenade is an important haven for city dwellers, visitors and tourists alike.
The promenade consists of a wide strip of paving for the enjoyment of all kinds of activity, be it walking or running or cycling.
When we designed the layout, we kept in mind that it should be wide enough so that it can cater for all sorts of outdoor activities one can think of.
Living in a city, we must all adapt and learn to share the limited public spaces available.
Restricting certain activities, or allocating specific areas for certain activities only, is not feasible.
It will also be impossible to enforce.
The City is doing all we can to cultivate a cycling culture in Cape Town – embracing cyclists and welcoming them onto our roads and in public spaces is an important part of this strategy.