Moonlight mass - Canceled indefinitely!!!

[ccc2]

Moonlight Mass's response to the City's explanatory letter: https://www.facebook...433385593428937

very imformative - i will archive some of this info in the back of my head for future reference

[LazyTrailRider]

Is this a "spoiling your fun" decision? Who here thinks the CoCT are revoking the permit to stop you from riding?

 

The organisers are congratulating themselves for not "selling out" to advertising over taking the permit's requirements seriously, are you surprised we don't have a mass anymore..?

 

Very simple. If you want something and you need to ask for permission, then as an organiser you need to adhere to the terms of the contract, or in this case permit. If you cannot, or will not comply, then you cannot expect anything else but to have the contract/permit revoked. Sure it make the authority look like the bad guy, but what choice do they have, they have been receiving complaints about the event! Even I was appalled by what I saw..

 

I'm with you 100% on this.

[porqui]

There is no law or by-law that you have to wear a helmet.

 

I do not believe that this is the issue so will the real issue please step forward.

 

Not their story - not your story but lets get the truth - what is the real issue?

[NotSoBigBen]

There is no law or by-law that you have to wear a helmet.

 

I do not believe that this is the issue so will the real issue please step forward.

 

Not their story - not your story but lets get the truth - what is the real issue?

 

:eek: :eek:

[Tumbleweed]

There is no law or by-law that you have to wear a helmet.

 

There isn't? Yay!

[GLuvsMtb]

#Proudly_brought_to you_by_the_DA...

[Tumbleweed]

#Proudly_brought_to you_by_the_DA...

 

Bwahahahahahahahahahahaha!

[DJR]

It is clear from Moonlight Mass' response that no meetings took place with the City from April this year to date. Have the City tried to arrange meetings with Moonlight Mass? Have they chosen not to engage? Six months is a long time to have no face to face meeting, especially if there have been complaints about safety and disruption. I want more objective info before I decide who to blame. That said, I truly hope the impasse get sorted out, Moonlight Mass is just too valuable.

[porqui]

There is no law or by-law that you have to wear a helmet.

 

I do not believe that this is the issue so will the real issue please step forward.

 

Not their story - not your story but lets get the truth - what is the real issue?

 

OOPS!!

 

Seriously wrong about law.

 

National Road Traffic Act. 1993 (Act no.93 of 1996) 207(2)

 

says otherwise - helmet mandatory

[Tumbleweed]

OOPS!!

 

Seriously wrong about law.

 

National Road Traffic Act. 1993 (Act no.93 of 1996) 207(2)

 

says otherwise - helmet mandatory

 

Never once been used. Also, there was something about a disagreement on the fine and it was never set.

[Lucky Luke.]

So now there is no official event, just a lot of cyclists riding through the city. Sort of like a lot of other 1st world cities on most days of the year.

 

CoCT will still be responsible for safety, by default, as they should be. At the same time they will be educated as to their earlier enquiries about whether it is possible to cycle in jeans, and without designated water points.

 

.. and Coke will not get to 'partner' with anybody.

 

Sounds like a win to me.

[Lucky Luke.]

#nothemoonlightmass with free publicity #Proudly_brought_to you_by_the_DA...

[ccc2]

i personally think the occasion grew too big and became an event and the CoCT started to impose their event application on the organisers.

i went thru the same mill when i started the wpca winter league. i was called to a meeting at Bellville Traffic and was sat down in front of about 15 CoCT staff who represented everything from crowd control,disaster management,traffic control,evacution management, u name it.

when i explained that i just wanted about 100-200 cyclist to race their bicycles around a circuit for 4 hours at various locations they said 'cool' just complete the application, dot the eyes and cross the t's, and they will sign off when the app reaches their desk. it is a schlep to complete the app for every event and i had 10 events 10 weekends in a row. but you have to do it or no approval and u run the risk of some cop rocking up and stopping your event.

[Icycling]

Back tracking!

 

Riding without a helmet has been illegal in South Africa since 2004.

[Groadie]

I've been a few times with my family. Its a great way to enjoy and reclaim the CBD. Whilst I understand that the city authorities struggle to find a framework wherein this event can operate, its a shame that with Cape Town also appointed as the World Design Capital 2014 that it lacks the ability to respond to the changing times and trends of its inhabitants.

 

If you don't like #moonlightmass, don't ride it.

 

Read this story for more insight:

 

http://smoothknobbli...light-mass.html

[Shebeen]

that they could not rap their heads around this unique ride.

Yo yo yo, ma bit23#$. get on ya mofo bike

every fullmoon, click that facebook like

hoes on wheels, pimps are cruisin

city said no, the fist are bruisin

we take the fight to da twitter

p@#$ city council is bitter

 

 

 

 

 

RESPONS TO CITY STATEMENT 11/11/13 : 21:50

 

Trying to keep #moonlightmass as a social fun ride, we did not shared the challenges of negotiating with the city with our community. We did it to prevent the ride from becoming a protest or statement ride. We wanted to maintain the purity of #moonlightmas.

 

From our first meeting with the city officials, it became clear to us that they could not rap their heads around this unique ride. We were questioned how it is possible to cycle while wearing jeans, how is it possible for hundreds of people to cycle through the city without littering, no water points and no toilet faculties… it just didn’t make sense to the officials.

 

At no point did we plan for the ride to become a rebel movement and from the moment the city summonsed us to discussed #moonlightmass in April 2012 we accepted and attended every single meeting in order to bridge and address all safety issues rising from this community driven ride.

 

For the sake of transparency here are the details of the meetings we had with city officials:

 

April 2012: Meeting with Beverly Schafer (Conciliar) and Daniel Rezant (event office) to discuses event permit and way forward

 

May 2012: Meeting with Daniel Rezent form event office to apply for event permit (at this point we were applying on a month to month bases)

 

24 August 2012: 5th floor civic center: Beverly Schafer, Anton Groenevald, Teral Collen, Terence Issecas and Daniel Razent. We were given special instruction that Daniel Rezent could wave the 2 weeks notice and issue the permit. In this meeting we offered Mr.Groenevald and all parties involved to partner with us on #moonlightmass and have it as a city run/owned event. We rejected Mr.Groenevald suggestion to give the ride to Coca Cola as a sponsoring partner.

 

13 June 2012: Summonsed to the event co-ordination weekly meeting: We were caught off guard when Daniel Rezent brought us into that meeting, which included representatives of every department. We were not prepared for the line of questions we were faced with, taken completely by surprised this meeting felt like a planed ambush.

 

28 September 2012: Met with Pierre Grobbelaar at Green Point traffic police to go through route to ensure safety and traffic flow, all agreed on.

 

28 September 2012: permit issued by the city for the rest of 2012

 

24 October 2012: Meeting with Beverly Schafer and Eugene Louw (traffic) to discuses public safety and traffic management during the ride. All was agreed on.

 

26 November 2012: Meeting with Beverly Schafer, Eugene Louw and Metro Police representative to discuses traffic planning. Meeting held at Truth Coffee in Green Point. All was agreed on.

 

30 November: Meeting with Beverly Schafer to discuses #moonlightmass challenges with the city.

 

4 January 2013: During the Burry Stander memorial ride, Richard Bosman undertook to support the #moonlightmass and assist with traffic management and law enforcement free of charge.

 

25 January 2013: Annual permit issued by the city for 2013

 

12 April 2013: Meeting with Beverly Schafer, Eugene Louw, disaster management at CT Stadium to discuses traffic support. In this meeting we requested a detailed traffic management plan that will address the city event requirements and concerns, detailed bellow is the city plan:

17 traffic officials for a min of 3 hours per person

54 static marshals (trained by traffic officials)

Dedicated medics and ambulance

Staggered start with registration, helmet, lights and bicycle check.

Demarcated route with cones

Change of route due to traffic flow issues.

 

After receiving this plan it was agreed by all parties to keep improving as we go along but to not cancel the ride. This plan requires deep pockets and some form of funding. This would have then change the face of #moonlightmass and take it away from the community who built it.

 

04 November 2013: Event permit withdrawn using last year dates claiming un-cooperation from our side

 

We were not alone in this engagement with the city. Beverly Schafer was instrumental in keeping the ride going and putting pressure on the city ‘to come to the party’, we are extremely grateful.

 

With 10 meeting over the past 18 month, 2 event permits and regular stream of emails we can safely say that we did our outmost best to address the city concerns over #moonlightmass. Safety has always been our top priority and we never took it lightly, leading by example while educating our followers had started to show results. As a community based ride we received the amazing support of paramedics and marshals, who on their own time and money insured the safety of the riders. We also received a generous donation in the form of a public liability insurance policy from Associated Insurance Brokers(JHB) that covered each and every ride. Olympic cycle provided a FREE sweeping vehicle at every ride. We are grateful for all the love and support #moonlightmass received in the most genuine manner.

 

A micro economy that developed around #moonlightmass with bicycle rentals, sales and repairs, restaurants and bars benefitting and developing around the ride. Occupied streets are safer streets and we are proud that #moonlightmass has contributed to this once a month: bringing different cultures together.

 

Our policy has always been to engage with the city and we will attend any meeting to resolve these issues, as we have done all along. Insuring that #moonlightmass rides on is our commitment!

 

#moonlightmass #iRideCT