The Cape Town city centre has become so popular that it is attracting an increasing number of non-Capetonians to live in the heart of the Mother City.
The age profile of the city residents is youngish, between 25 and 44 years old, and many have lived in the city centre for five to ten years already. The reason for living in the city centre is that it is close to their Continue reading →
With minimal notice to the residents and businesses of Camps Bay, using nothing more than media statements, the City of Cape Town announced the closure of a large part of Camps Bay Drive, due to R20 million roadworks undertaken between the Geneva Drive and Houghton Road turn-offs for the next five months, which commenced a week ago. Speaking to a selection of businesses, the Victoria Road restaurants have felt little or no impact of the roadworks on their business, while guest houses in the suburb appear to be taking some strain. The long-term benefit for not only Camps Bay, but for Cape Town in general, is recognised.
In the days leading up to 20 April, the start of the roadworks, the City of Cape Town hastily put up yellow signs all Continue reading →
Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines
* Cape Town harbour does not appear to be able to cope with the influx of tourists coming off cruise ships. Earlier this week about 2000 passengers on the MSC Opera were stuck on board as there were only four customs officials to deal with the passengers who wanted to go on land to explore Cape Town, and those that wanted to board for the next leg of the cruise. Provincial Minister of Tourism Alan Winde described the incident as a ‘major setback for cruise ship tourism in the city‘. The departure time of the ship was delayed by two hours.
* The price of petrol is expected to drop by at least 40 cents per liter and the price of diesel by about 56 cents per liter next Wednesday, predicts the Automobile Association. Another petrol price decrease can be expected in December.
* The Department of Transport is attempting to prevent Emirates from adding a fourth daily flight between Continue reading →
The Western Cape province introduced tough new cycling legislation earlier this week, aimed at better behaviour by both cyclists and motorists on the roads of Cape Town and the province. Other than newspaper coverage this week, there has been no communication to Western Cape residents, nor to tourists arriving from other provinces and from overseas.
The Western Cape Provincial Road Traffic Administration Act 2012 (Act 6 of 2012): Safety of Cyclists Regulations, 2013, places the following duties on motorists:
* keep a distance of 1 meter from a cyclist (no longer 1,5 meters as initially recommended)
* must pass a cyclist carefully, and are allowed to drive over a solid line into an oncoming lane to keep the specified distance from the cyclists, but only if there is no oncoming traffic (this sounds like a dangerous relaxation of the law, which in essence means that the motorist must give way, and that Continue reading →