- The City of Cape Town has relocated its Fish Hoek Revenue Department Walk-in Centre to Main Road, causing concerns about traffic congestion and parking.
- Residents and community leaders are worried about accessibility, particularly for the elderly and disabled, in the new location.
- Despite these concerns, the City assures that the move will bring positive changes and improved services to the area.
The closure and move of the City of Cape Town’s Revenue Department Walk-in Centre, from central circle in Fish Hoek to Main Road, raised concerns over traffic congestion and parking.
In a notice last week, the City announced the permanent move of the centre for vehicle registration, account enquiries and licencing to a larger space at the old Standard Bank building in Main Road.
The new customer centre is open to the public from today (Tuesday 13 August).
In a statement last week, the Mayco member for finance Siseko Mbandezi encouraged residents to use the new facility or alternatively use the facility’s online e-service options.
“Our dedicated officials are looking forward to welcoming the very first customers through the new and improved Fish Hoek Customer Interaction Centre doors where customers will be assisted.
“This includes accounts and motor vehicle licensing enquiries,” said Mbandezi.
“The City is encouraging residents to make use of the convenient e-Services options, check the City’s website, or call ahead before visiting the nearest office if they are in doubt. We are committed to improving our service offerings and customer service at all customer interaction centres in the metro.”
Fish Hoek resident Christopher Banham tells People’s Post that he finds it hard to believe that the centre has moved from a location where there was plenty of parking to no parking.
he said.
He questioned what was happening to the old municipal building and raised concerns that the library and other existing facilities at central circle would also be closed down.
When People’s Post visited the new site on Wednesday 7 August, there was no parking available on either side of Main Road that was full of trucks, vehicles and pedestrians.
Pamela Gush, a community leader from Glencairn Heights, questioned how the elderly or disabled would be able to use the facility if they have to park far away.
“It’s going to be a nightmare. Main Road is already very congested and there is no parking available at the building, how are the elderly and disabled going to use the facility?”
Positives
Subcouncil 19 chair Simon Liell-Cock says the new location will bring about many positive changes to Fish Hoek.
According to Liell-Cock, the new site, which is still owned by Standard Bank, was fixed by the City of Cape Town who is leasing the building.
“The positive is that it would bring more foot traffic to Fish Hoek,” he said. “We are adding more life to Fish Hoek Main Road and the Standard Bank building that was once derelict is made useful.”
Commenting on traffic concerns Liell-Cock said disabled parking bays are available in Main Road.
“There is a carpark behind Checkers and yes there is a little bit of a walk but there are disabled parking bays in Main Road.”
He explained that the need for a new customer centre came to light during Covid.
“Since Covid in 2020, it came to light that a bigger space was needed because there were long queues of hundreds of people at the centre which brought up the issue,” he said. “
He assured residents that everything else at the Fish Hoek Civic Centre at central circle will remain the same.
“Everything else stays the same such as the licencing department with the drivers testing, the library and Subcouncil office,” said Liell-Cock.
The positive take away from the move is a cleaner and safer Fish Hoek, he added.
“We are working at making Fish Hoek safer and cleaner,” he said. “We fixing up the lighting in the street, cleaning up Fish Hoek Main Road where there used to be illegal traders and we are making the space cleaner and safer.”
