Cape Town danger areas

[Wannabe]

Reply from Mr Winde's office

 

Dear Mr ****

 

Thank you for reaching out and for bringing these incidents to our attention. We are sorry to hear this, and we share your concern regarding the spate of attacks targeting cyclists and the safety of all individuals. 

Kindly be advised that we have referred your note to the relevant teams for attention and response. 

Kind regards

 

Office of the Premier

Western Cape Government

[Cape Town Tank]

I have been commuting from Hout Bay to Paarden Eiland for the last 6 years using the infamous Myciti bus lane.   Thankfully (not quite sure how) I have not had any major incident yet...

Over those 6 years the number of shacks running down the stretch from PE to Woodstock has increased 2fold.   I now see a lot more 'movement' at the Woodstock bridge and feel my time is near....

  

[Kerritz]

I use the cycle path in Table View few times per week/month joining mostly from Netcare Blaauwberg to Milnerton lighthouse. Only once ventured as far as Paarden Island and definitely not planning to do so either based on common sense and the advice given here. Pity though but it is what it is. 

Yesterday morning the stretch from Dolphin Beach to the Engen garage by Sunset Beach looked like the aftermath of a New Years eve party in Hatfield square 25 years ago. I have never seen so much broken glass on that stretch ever before. 

My first thought was that it comes from cars throwing out bottles after partying in town (yes it happens and I have seen it myself in Parklands and Sunningdale) but when I took a closer look the glass was not spread in a pattern like you would expect from a bottle travelling at speed. It was definitely placed there with intent and normally it will only be on the one side of the path but yesterday there were multiple places where it spanned the entire path. No way around it. 

There is always glass on that stretch and there are a few "hotspots" where vagrants stay that have a bit more trash as well but I just felt like it was deliberate sabotage to force a puncture and then yes the normal modus operandi will follow after that. Going there and back I was surprised that I did not see anyone with a puncture luckily and for the first time other cyclists warned me from the opposite direction/s about the glass.

Maybe I’m just spoilt spending around 2 weeks in Prince Albert with my Dad cycling the Karoo and then coming back here I don’t know.

What also crossed my mind is that seeing there are fewer cyclists going past Paarden Island maybe the target area is starting to move where there is more traffic and opportunity now. Also makes sense (never used to before) why I see so many cyclists using the R27 as opposed to the actual cycle path. Another risk of its own that.

I do have to say that there are often cleanups taking place on the cycle path so kudos for that. It takes one vagrant though to make a barn fire on the cycle path and turn it into a mess again.

Just thought I will share…take it easy on that stretch and be vigilant.

[Euvdore]

 

"Morning gents. Another attack under the bridge today on your way to town. I went to town.

 

I got 2 guys on the way back they said the phones were taken as they went over the bridge 

 

Be carful if you riding to town from home - need to be a big group if you do"

[Euvdore]

This was on Saturday

[Meezo]

Yesterday as we were coming back from our ride, we got a cyclist who had been waiting at the astron garage waiting for people to pass, without even chatting to him I knew he was looking for company going over the bridge.

He told me that on his way through they had tried to rob him, which he managed to get away unharmed. He carried on his ride to sea point, and now just needed company back home...

So the situation hasn't changed, and the mind boggles how nothing is done... as simple as getting a vehicle or guard station their with a radio... maybe even just adding surveillance (reactionary rather than preventative).

[Johan A Marais]

1 hour ago, Meezo said:

Yesterday as we were coming back from our ride, we got a cyclist who had been waiting at the astron garage waiting for people to pass, without even chatting to him I knew he was looking for company going over the bridge.

He told me that on his way through they had tried to rob him, which he managed to get away unharmed. He carried on his ride to sea point, and now just needed company back home...

So the situation hasn't changed, and the mind boggles how nothing is done... as simple as getting a vehicle or guard station their with a radio... maybe even just adding surveillance (reactionary rather than preventative).

This is really a poor reflection on the city. I have send them photos, many times, ask many questions to Alan and George. Nada, zero niks nothing, no response. The city once came back about the vandalism on the Woodstock Mile, saying it will be fix pretty soon. Again, months have gone past, still nada, nothing, niks. The cops who is there (sometimes) are not watching or roaming. They sit at one point, chatting, smoking and on their phones, sometimes chasing me of the buslane... really?!  You will get attacked 200m away from them, without them knowing...

But still i ride there, had 3 close calls already. This was also shared with them, but nada, nothing, niks. They do not care.

This will not be fixed or sorted by the city. They have no appetite or motivation to get onto this seriously and with a plan of action. 

 

Edited November 25 by Johan A Marais
Edit

[Robbie Stewart]

5 hours ago, Kerritz said:

Yesterday morning the stretch from Dolphin Beach to the Engen garage by Sunset Beach looked like the aftermath of a New Years eve party in Hatfield square 25 years ago. I have never seen so much broken glass on that stretch ever before. 

I normally ride from Sunningdale north to Melkbos, do a few laps of Duynefontein and head home again for a 2 hour or so ride in the mornings. I ventured south a while back for a change of scenery and as I took the cycle path heading south by Dolphin Beach hotel I heard that explosive decompression of my rear tyre as I encountered this glass you speak of. It was still very much night time as the sun was still a while away from peeking out under the blankets of darkness. I turned around and thought to keep riding as far as I could before the inevitable hike-a-bike started. I made it all the way home on a tyre about 50% deflated. It was at that bit where the cycle path dips below the road level pretty much making a rider somewhat hidden from view of the road. I have resorted to sticking to the Melkbos run and actually enjoy the regularity of it. 

I did a ride to PE earlier in April and as I was turning by the filling station I saw a cyclist pass me and head on to the N1. On a whim I opted to follow him and lost him by the time I made it to the lane heading south. I decided to continue on to the N1 and from there I just followed it to the bit where you are riding beneath the elevated highway where I navigated to the V&A and then I ended up turning back north again at the top of Suikerbossie after deciding I wasn't in the mood for Chapmans. That was an awesome ride and I wish I could do it again sometime, but not at the rate people get jacked between PE and the V&A. Such a pity.

[Spinnaroonie]

It is mind-boggling as I drive past this area each morning, and I always see 2-3 characters standing at the bottom of the embankment. It's an easy win for the cops if an operation is set up but sadly it's glaringly obvious that nothing will be done. FFS! 

[JasonS]

IOL has picked it up.

https://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-and-courts/cyclists-warned-about-robbers-lurking-at-woodstock-bridge-7273fc9b-0b7f-4c0f-a0df-c90bac3df8a0

[The Ouzo]

16 hours ago, JasonS said:

IOL has picked it up.

https://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-and-courts/cyclists-warned-about-robbers-lurking-at-woodstock-bridge-7273fc9b-0b7f-4c0f-a0df-c90bac3df8a0

its like those Hijacking hotspot signs, you know its a problem area, we know its a problem area, but does anything get done about it ?

A warning and a sign is like handing someone a band aid when their arm has been ripped off and then claiming you took action to help

Edited November 26 by The Ouzo

[karma]

Suggest we do something like this: https://forms.gle/GooXhPFqRCkUVXmNA

with better  visibility , example: 

[cadenceblur]

when we went over the bridge on Saturday morning at around 10h00 on our way from town side - there was a police van stationed on the side of the road heading towards town - so it appears that there is some action taking place.

[Links MTB]

Three more attacks (that I'm aware of) in the vicinity of the Woodstock bridge over the weekend! This is now totally out of control!! 

Two members of our group got attacked as we were getting over the barriers on the port-side of the bridge following the "commuter route". They appeared out of thin air - two guys - one had a pistol, but judging from the way he held and handled it, it was probably a toy gun. They were only interested in phones. It happened so quickly by the time I realised what's happening it was all over and the guys ran across both lanes of the N1 dodging cars. 

There is thus currently no safe route for cyclists to get into town from Blouberg side and given the seriousness of the situation the only solution I see is for PPA and COCT to negotiate with the Port Authority to allow cyclists access through the Port to town. 

[RustyHWR]

14 minutes ago, Links MTB said:

Three more attacks (that I'm aware of) in the vicinity of the Woodstock bridge over the weekend! This is now totally out of control!! 

Two members of our group got attacked as we were getting over the barriers on the port-side of the bridge following the "commuter route". They appeared out of thin air - two guys - one had a pistol, but judging from the way he held and handled it, it was probably a toy gun. They were only interested in phones. It happened so quickly by the time I realised what's happening it was all over and the guys ran across both lanes of the N1 dodging cars. 

There is thus currently no safe route for cyclists to get into town from Blouberg side and given the seriousness of the situation the only solution I see is for PPA and COCT to negotiate with the Port Authority to allow cyclists access through the Port to town. 

Glad that they were unharmed. You got a better chance for a white Xmas than been allowed to cycle through port. 

[tubed]

The inaction of the City (Hill Lewis) and Winde (Province) on this is unbelievable.

You have commuters being held up at gun point trying to get to and from work.

It's not a big area to cover (unlike the mountain).

Your job is to protect the citizens (let's not even talk about providing a decent cycle path).

Does it take a commuter to pull out a gun and settle it? What then, damage control, City image?

Get off your arses and do something FFS!