Residents reminded to comment on City’s revised Parking Policy

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The City’s revised Parking Policy has been available for comment since last month. Residents and interested parties are encouraged to read the revised policy, and to submit their comments and proposals by the close of business on 23 September 2020.

The revised policy addresses the provision, management, regulation, enforcement, and pricing of parking across the city: from on-street parking and off-street parking, to park-and-ride facilities, loading bays, bus bays, parking permits, reserved parking, and parking for bicycles, motorbikes, and provision for e-hailing services. This includes all aspects related to parking, whether it is provided by the private or public sector.

‘The current Parking Policy was approved in 2014, and needed to be revised to address new services and advances in technology. For example, we want to improve the enforcement of parking transgressions. We also need to cater for new transport modes such as e-hailing and electric vehicles. Resilience and urban sustainability is key to the City’s policies, and therefore, we also need to promote parking that is friendly to the environment in how it is designed and managed. Then, we also want to implement cashless payments for parking, which will make it more convenient for motorists and safer for those who will be managing the parking bays,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Transport, Alderman Felicity Purchase.

The City must adapt to new technologies and services.

‘E-hailing is now an integral part of Cape Town’s public transport offering. However, we do not have convenient drop-and-go bays in business areas or at private developments for lift clubs, e-hailing cars, or e-hailing delivery motorbikes. Also, there must be parking incentives for more sustainable modes of transport such as bicycles, and motorbikes. New generation mobility such as electric vehicles must also be accommodated in future,’ said Alderman Purchase.

In terms of on-street parking, the draft revised policy is pursuing the following: 

  • easier access to on-street parking within central business districts for those who want to park for a short period
  • easier access to designated on-street parking for people with special needs, such as those in wheelchairs
  • investigate a possible discount for those who park for less than 10 or 15 minutes
  • easier access to designated on-street parking bays for delivery vehicles
  • to encourage economic activity in central business areas by providing easy access to on-street parking bays for customers and delivery vehicles
  • to encourage short-stay parking within the core of the CBD and longer stay parking on the periphery of the CBD during business hours 
  • payment through a cashless system by using smart cards or mobile phones to improve convenience and accounting
  • for minor parking transgressions to be administered by the contractor who will be contracted to manage on-street parking bays on behalf of the City; and
  • to develop a rationale for the expansion or removal of managed on-street parking as and when needed

‘The draft policy requires the City to investigate the use of technology to record violations and issue penalties. This is very important as we find that private vehicle owners often park in bays designated for loading vehicles and people with special needs, or that they do not adhere to time limits, or flatly refuse to pay for parking,’ said Alderman Purchase.

The policy also proposes new guidelines for parking tariffs:

  • it makes provision for different parking zones to be demarcated, and for parking tariffs to differ accordingly
  • different tariffs should apply for different times of day (morning, afternoon, evening), and over weekends and on public holidays; and 
  • given that motorbikes require less parking space the tariff for using a formal motorcycle bay should be lower

All off-street parking in the Cape Town CBD alone occupies more than 1,1 km².

‘It is very costly for developers to provide parking as parking surfaces take up precious land that could have been developed. The increased cost in providing parking is ultimately passed on to the buyer or tenant, which reduces the affordability of the units. Parking areas should also support the protection of precious resources such as water, and our environment. The revised policy addresses these issues by proposing the City implements flexible and targeted requirements for the provision of parking bays in future,’ said Alderman Purchase.

Ultimately, the policy intends to support economic activity by ensuring customers and delivery vehicles can find on-street parking. It also seeks to influence when and how commuters travel – with public transport, bicycle, motorbike, or private vehicle; and to free up valuable land for development. A data-driven tender will also enable the City to respond timeously to changing environments and circumstances and to adapt managed parking accordingly.

The revised policy is available on the City’s website. Please go to: www.capetown.gov.za/haveyoursay

Comments, input and recommendations can be submitted as follows:

‘Traffic volumes and commuting have not reached the same levels as before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The City is monitoring the situation, and we are investigating opportunities to entrench this change in travel behaviour beyond 2020. A sound parking policy can influence travelling behaviour. I want to encourage residents to please take the time to read the revised policy, and to participate in this process,’ said Alderman Purchase.