Cape Town danger areas

[DJR]

I appreciate Alan Windes' efforts to improve cycling infrastructure and respect him as a fellow cyclist. But a lot of the good work put in by him (provincial government) and the City of Cape Town, has gone to waste over the past decade (or more) because of LACK OF LONG TERM COMMITMENT to make it work! There are 3 shortcomings that I see as the main reasons for cycling paths (like the brilliant West Coast one, which is a good example to use)  failing:

1. Lack of security!

Policing, I understand, is NOT a provincial function. SAPolice Service is run atrociously and corruptly by the national central government. To help mitigate the total disaster that SAPS has become, the City of Cape Town has established its' own Metro Police, which helps a lot keeping Cape Town away from a Mad Max apocalyptic scenario. But if there are still near daily muggings and robberies on the cycling route, then cyclists (recreational and commuter) will stop using it and your multi million Rand investment in infrastructure will be lost, totally useless, money down the drain. It does not help to have a bit of a show on TV and in the papers after a particularly gruesome attack, to show that you (police or politicians) are doing something about it. You need to be there EVERY DAY, CATCH and incarcerate the criminals until there are ZERO attacks. THEN your project will work, cyclists will use the route, reduce traffic, pollution and your infrastructure investment will pay dividents!

2. Failure to deal with illegal squatters

Much of the criminality happening along the West Coast cycle route stems from the homeless encampments on mostly PRASA owned land in Woodstock. It offers criminals a place to stay and hide. It is all too easy to disappear into that nest after an attack on a cyclist on the cycling path and police are not willing or able to enter there and find the culprits. The solution is not so straight forward, because the land is basically owned by the state (central government) or PRASA (also state owned) and they don't have the political will to act against the illegal occupiers ( I suspect they don't want to be seen evicting people because it will cost them at election time, reeking of forced removals?). The City of Cape Town and the Western Cape Provincial government cannot do anything much about this, because they do not own the occupied land and cannot evict and clear it out. Besides, the legal process of doing that is a long and difficult one. But, if the illegal occupiers and criminal elements are not removed and prevented from returning, the cycle lane will NOT ever be fully functional and a waste of money.

3. Lack of ongoing maintenance of infrastructure

Allowing fences to be broken down and to remain so for years, allow criminals easy access to the cycle lane as well as an easy escape. Allowing manhole covers to be stolen and for holes to remain open bicycle traps, endangers cyclists. Allowing it to become neglected, overgrown, covered with rubbish, human pee and excrement, makes it an unattractive environment for law abiding cyclists, and they will stay away..........again, the cycle path will fail and all your infrastructure investment will go to waste.

 

If you want to see where the West Coast Cycle Lane works, then simply go further up from Milnerton to Melkbos. You will see that people are using it! If you want to see where it is NOT working, go look at the stretch from Paarden Eiland to the City Centre. The difference is stark and striking and it is caused by crime and neglect of dealing with it definitively.That blockage in the cycle path is a bit like the one artery that gets clogged up, causing a heart attack and the patients' death, while the rest of him was perfectly fit and healthy! 

 

P.s. Someone with better IT skills, you are most welcome to send this to same politicians.

P.p.s' Sorry, I know this is a post too long for most Hubbers, but hey, I have to try and fix your  attention deficit issue, not so? (Just kidding) 

Edited May 5 by DJR

[splat]

Main Road through Woodstock is being resurfaced, which is great!

It will be interesting to see what happens with the bike lane, which was a bit fictitious anyway...

Oh, and coming over the Bakery Bridge towards Amazon, the new traffic flow and intersections there will be challenging. Unless there is something formal in place, I see a lot of traffic turning right from Observatory towards Maitland causing issues.

[i24]

On 5/5/2024 at 8:41 AM, DJR said:

1. Lack of security!

Policing, I understand, is NOT a provincial function. SAPolice Service is run atrociously and corruptly by the national central government.

 

2. Failure to deal with illegal squatters

The solution is not so straight forward, because the land is basically owned by the state (central government) or PRASA (also state owned) and they don't have the political will to act against the illegal occupiers

 

3. Lack of ongoing maintenance of infrastructure

Allowing fences to be broken down and to remain so for years,

Western Cape Law Enforcement does not have the powers, nor the budget, to investigate or arrest. There is only so much the Western Cape can do without a functional national Police Force.

I am not sure if there is much point in shouting at Allan Winde, the solution to the problem lies with central government.

[Robbie Stewart]

On 5/5/2024 at 8:41 AM, DJR said:

If you want to see where the West Coast Cycle Lane works, then simply go further up from Milnerton to Melkbos. You will see that people are using it!

I ride the section from Sunningdale to Melkbos and on to Duynefontein and back again as a standard 42 km loop at least 3 days per week, sometimes more.

I ventured down south to Paarden Island on 1st of April and on a whim jumped onto the N1 to carry on to the V&A and from there on to the top of Suikerbossie. I noticed the decline and the stark contrast between the two clearly discernible sides. It really is sad, because from our part of the world we are pretty much locked in as we can't cross the N7 any longer as Dunoon is too risky, and going South also is a major risk.

But I don't see the WC government being able to alleviate the situation without the buy-in from National government, which at present is a not-starter.

Edited May 6 by Robbie Stewart
clarification

[CapSizer]

21 hours ago, splat said:

Oh, and coming over the Bakery Bridge towards Amazon, the new traffic flow and intersections there will be challenging. Unless there is something formal in place, I see a lot of traffic turning right from Observatory towards Maitland causing issues.

I am hoping that the new road layout will make good provision for cyclists.  I have not seen the plans (does anybody here know?) but I am under the impression that the city these days puts in decent space for cyclists wherever new roads are built.

[ChrisF]

5 hours ago, i24 said:

Western Cape Law Enforcement does not have the powers, nor the budget, to investigate or arrest. There is only so much the Western Cape can do without a functional national Police Force.

I am not sure if there is much point in shouting at Allan Winde, the solution to the problem lies with central government.

 

Nope

 

Sure, prasa ground is a national disaster, and beyond the local government.

 

BUT, there are many more areas where the mayor and the premier CAN improve:

. Maintenance

. Visible policing

. Safety

 

 

Must somebody die in a bike jacking on Hellshoogte before the premier takes a few basic steps ?

 

 

A clear message needs to be sent to wake him up from his slumber ....

 

 

YES ... I travel enough to know things are "beter" in the Western Cape than in many other SA cities.  However, still a lot that CAN be done to improve cyclist safety here

Edited May 6 by ChrisF

[NickGM]

17 minutes ago, ChrisF said:

 

Nope

 

Sure, prasa ground is a national disaster, and beyond the local government.

 

BUT, there are many more areas where the mayor and the premier CAN improve:

. Maintenance

. Visible policing

. Safety

 

 

Must sombody die in a bike jacking on Hellshoogte before the premier takes a few basic steps ?

 

 

A clear message needs to be sent to wake him up from his slumber ....

 

 

YES ... I travel enough to know things are "beter" in the Western Cape than in many other SA cities.  However, still a lot that CAN be done to improve cyclist safety here

I'm interested to know what you'd have Allan Winde do? I'm not being facetious. I live very close to helshoogte and I don't ride over it anymore.

I'm sure we can all agree that bike crime could be reduced through much better policing and reduced unemployment. In terms of policing, the local government are trying very hard to get more control, you only need to look at the headline and the author:

https://wc.da.org.za/2024/02/mitchells-plain-saps-failures-urges-devolution-of-policing-powers

In terms of employment, well in that regard the western cape is already flooded with economic migrants because there are so few opportunities elsewhere. But they can't fix the whole country's problems. Only voters can do that.

[ChrisF]

1 minute ago, NickGM said:

I'm interested to know what you'd have Allan Winde do? I'm not being facetious. I live very close to helshoogte and I don't ride over it anymore.

I'm sure we can all agree that bike crime could be reduced through much better policing and reduced unemployment. In terms of policing, the local government are trying very hard to get more control, you only need to look at the headline and the author:

https://wc.da.org.za/2024/02/mitchells-plain-saps-failures-urges-devolution-of-policing-powers

In terms of employment, well in that regard the western cape is already flooded with economic migrants because there are so few opportunities elsewhere. But they can't fix the whole country's problems. Only voters can do that.

 

Cameras ?  Already various monitoring rooms in Stellenbosch.

 

How many escape routes are there for the thugs ?  If a few are blocked off, it should be easier to police the remaining spots.

 

 

Sure those in the security industry have more and better ideas.

[firewolf]

Reports on Tokai Community on FB: CYCLIST ON ORPEN ROAD THIS MORNING. WHITE CORSA BUKKIE. MALE WITH LONG SCREWDRIVER. BIKE HANDED OVER WITH NO INCIDENT. ROBBER FLED BUT WAS CHASED BY OTHER CYCLISTS. ROBBER RODE INTO OTHER CYCLISTS AT BOOTLEGGERS. BIKE RETURNED. ROBBER ARRESTED.

[MORNE]

12 minutes ago, firewolf said:

Reports on Tokai Community on FB: CYCLIST ON ORPEN ROAD THIS MORNING. WHITE CORSA BUKKIE. MALE WITH LONG SCREWDRIVER. BIKE HANDED OVER WITH NO INCIDENT. ROBBER FLED BUT WAS CHASED BY OTHER CYCLISTS. ROBBER RODE INTO OTHER CYCLISTS AT BOOTLEGGERS. BIKE RETURNED. ROBBER ARRESTED.

Nice.

Hope whomever pressed charges? AND are willing to go the distance. Otherwise these moegoes just get released after a day or two. Cops couldnt be bothered.

[firewolf]

Morne. Agree 100%. Plus they come back with exaggerated confidence.  Untouchable by the law. F$%kers!!

[BuffsVintageBikes]

That moegoe will think twice before coming back soon, he was dealt some justice by the public.

[The Ouzo]

1 minute ago, BuffsVintageBikes said:

That moegoe will think twice before coming back soon, he was dealt some justice by the public.

as mcuh as I'm glad some street justice was handed out, I cant help but think this guy will be out there again soon, only this time better armed and possibly violent.

Whats the answer, I dont know. The inner East Rander in me would love more PKs to be handed out though.

[Meezo]

On 5/20/2024 at 9:28 AM, The Ouzo said:

as mcuh as I'm glad some street justice was handed out, I cant help but think this guy will be out there again soon, only this time better armed and possibly violent.

Whats the answer, I dont know. The inner East Rander in me would love more PKs to be handed out though.

sure that is one way to think about, but he also may not as said by Buffs... these guys don't give you a chance, so i don't think you should give them one... and good hiding is what they need

Edited May 21 by Meezo

[BuffsVintageBikes]

A mate of mine was attacked on Sunday afternoon around 5pm, very close to the Pot Belly Pantry on the R44 to Stellenbosch. Two perps forced him off the road in a vehicle and robbed him of his cell phone at gunpoint. They then tried driving off but got their vehicle stuck after veering too far off the road trying to corner him. They got out the vehicle again to try get the car unstuck and he pleaded with them to please give back his drivers license. They refused and he lost the plot and tackled the guy with the gun (yeah nuts, I know but he said his fight or flight instinct kicked in big time). A scuffle ensued in which he ended up wrestling with both of them. One broke free and kicked him badly while he was focusing on the guy with the weapon. He eventually subdued both and flagged down a good Samaritan who went to fetch the cops at Klapmuts. Both were arrested and are appearing in court today. Their vehicle was also impounded.

He is beaten up quite badly from all the kicking but he's alive and positive and is determined to get these cowardly bastards prosecuted for their actions.

Get well soon bud 👍

[Jakkals.]

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