City's bid to tackle congestion

Cape Town is weighing the introduction of a congestion charge and stricter parking controls as part of a broader plan to alleviate gridlock and reduce transport-related emissions in the city.

- Liesl Peyper

The measures form part of the City of Cape Town’s draft Travel Demand Management (TDM) Strategy, which proposes a mix of incentives, regulations and infrastructure upgrades to change how people travel.

The strategy outlines measures to cut traffic congestion and emissions by shifting commuters from private car use towards public and active transport.

It also promotes remote work and flexible hours to reduce daily commuting.

Rob Quintas, mayoral committeemember for urban mobility, says the goal is to encourage people to avoid travelling in private vehicles, shift to public transport where possible and reduce the need for travelling by promoting remote work.