MATTHEW HIRSCH
Signs warning people of skateboarders have gone up near the Sea Point library.
The signs read “Caution, skateboard area, park at own risk”, and, says councillor Jacques Weber, they became a ward project after a query from a resident.
“She felt that there was a risk to motor vehicle users and skateboarders for potential accidents. I was not in favour of banning skateboarders from this area and therefore came up with a traffic-flow solution that would minimise risk to both users of this area.
“We do not have skateboard facilities within the ward and did not feel it was fair to ban them from an off-street parking area, especially if the Road Traffic Act does not allow them to use a public road for their activities.”
Marco Morgan, of the National Skate Collective and one of the organisers of Promenade Mondays, said the signage set a benchmark for the country.
“There used to be a sign there saying that we couldn’t skate. We’ve had people all over the country celebrating it and asking us how it happened,” he said, adding: “It has never been about taking over a space for us. It has always been about sharing a space.”
He said the Promenade Mondays had been happening in the area over the last four and a half years.