Plans to convert Queen Victoria Street in the Cape Town Central Business District into a one-way are still undetermined.
Last year, the City held a public participation process proposing to turn the street into a one-way from Wale Street to alleviate congestion.
Queen Victoria runs at the back of the Western Cape High Court, along the Company’s Gardens, the South African Museum and the Planetarium.
Over the years the City received various complaints which include congestion and side-swipe accidents.
Felicity Purchase, then Mayco member for transport, said the choice of direction for the proposed one-way street is based on the following:
Bus stops are located on the left-hand side of Queen Victoria Street when travelling towards Orange Street.
Thus, by turning it into a one-way street, pedestrian safety will be improved as commuters will have near-side boarding and alighting facilities and would not need to cross the busy street.
Road safety will be improved as traffic along Orange Street heading towards Buitengracht will not be permitted to turn right into Queen Victoria Street.
But some road users and residents have mixed emotions about the conversion.
Sisanda Ndevu, a car marshal, says converting the road into a one-way will ease congestion.
“The road gets quite busy. Converting it into a one-way will help in that regard.”
Arnold Kondo, Manager at the Company Gardens Restaurant, is against the proposed plan. He says it will affect his business.
“I don’t think it’s necessary to make it a one-way, because if you look at Long Street it goes up from Wale Street. It will affect our businesses because most of our customers park there. Keeping it like it is now makes sense. We only experience congestion here when there are functions going on in Town.”
Some residents took to social media to express their views.
One resident says: “Could really use speed humps or elevated crosswalk. There are several large blocks of flats, at least two schools, the gallery, parliament, park, museum, and the libraries. All make for lots of foot traffic. A blind man almost got run over just last week.”
Another road user said: “Congestion here is way better than just about any other street in the city. I always use it both ways to cut through town and never have problems. I’m not against the idea, but it seems unnecessary based on your claim of ‘congestion’.”
Rob Quintas, Mayco member for urban mobility, says the City received 331 comments and says as yet “no final decision” has been made regarding the future of this stretch of the road.
