11/04/2024
The world's largest ocean liner is docking in Cape Town tomorrow. We will keep on bringing the world to our city.
We are going to try and manage the traffic congestion, but if you are heading into town over the next two days, please choose your route wisely to avoid being stuck in traffic. A lot of passengers will be boarding. Its also bringing a lot of tourist. But what we need the most, it also brings a lot of jobs.
Read more below.
CITY OF CAPE TOWN
10 APRIL 2024
MEDIA RELEASE
Royal congestion expected with docking of Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria cruise liners
Motorists are advised that increased congestion is anticipated in the coming days, associated with the arrival of cruise liners in the harbour. While Cape Town’s growing profile as a tourist destination boosts our economy, the City is aware of the inconvenience of increased congestion and is implementing mitigation measures where possible.
The City is anticipating high volumes of traffic on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, attributed to the docking of the Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria cruise liners in the harbour, particularly during boarding periods.
While a joint effort is in place to prevent avoidable snarl ups on and around Nelson Mandela Boulevard, FW De Klerk Boulevard and Buitengracht Street, motorists are encouraged to plan alternative routes around the Waterfront area during peak times, and passengers scheduled to board are advised to please arrive early. Passengers are asked to please use the Christiaan Barnaard and Marine Drive entrances to the docks, and not the general Waterfront access routes, as this will help a great deal in minimising impact on other road users.
The Queen Victoria is scheduled to arrive at 07:00 on Thursday, 11 April and depart at 17:30 on Friday, 12 April. The Queen Mary 2 is scheduled to arrive at 05:30 on Friday, 12 April and depart at 18:00 on Saturday, 13 April.
However, these times might be affected by inclement weather.
‘Our Traffic Signal Operators will monitor conditions on Nelson Mandela Boulevard, FW De Klerk Boulevard and Buitengracht Street closely on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Operators will use CCTV cameras to pinpont the location and extent of vehicle queues throughout the day and activate appropriate signal timing plans to best manage these queues. The aim is to accommodate heavy traffic flows into the CBD, while also accommodating motorists who are leaving the area,’ said Cllr Rob Quintas, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility.
‘Operators will be in constant contact with Cape Town Traffic Services and operations personnel at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. Where appropriate, variable message signs of the Cape Town Freeway Management System will be used to alert motorists to areas of congestion on roadways,’ said Cllr Quintas.
These interventions are supported by the City’s Traffic Service officials, who are collaborating with port officials to implement measures aimed at reducing congestion.
‘While these events bring massive economic stimulation, it has been noted that the traffic flow entering into the city becomes impeded during the boarding periods for these cruise liners. Our Traffic Service is working closely with port officials in an attempt to implement measures that will reduce the congestion, as experienced recently on the departure dates. While officials will override and attempt to provide manual pointsman duties across intersections that are timed for conventional traffic flow, passengers who are scheduled to board vessels are encouraged to ensure early arrival. Motorists who would normally commute along roads close to and around the Waterfront are urged to consider alternative routes during these periods. Further advisory notices will be provided to the media closer to such times where an influx of passengers entering the harbour area is to be expected,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Ald JP Smith.
While traffic congestion is a headache at the best of times, it is important to keep in mind that events such as these are a sign of economic prosperity that ultimately enhance quality of life for all our residents.
‘Cape Town has grown massively as a cruise tourism destination. Between 2016 and 2019, each season averaged between 35 and 40 ships arriving at the port in the city. In this 2023/2024 season, the number of ship visits is currently at 67. These gains directly follow the City’s support for the Cruise Cape Town initiative, administered by Wesgro, to promote our destination as one of choice for the cruise travel market.
‘This is a sector of tourism that is deeply valuable for us with research by Wesgro revealing that cruise tourism injected R1,2 billion into the Western Cape economy between November 2022 and May 2023. In addition, for every 30 arriving cruise passengers, the Western Cape cruise industry created one full-time job. This is worth bearing in mind when considering the thousands of passengers on board the Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria. The City will continue working closely with its partners to make Cape Town stand out on the global cruise travel map,’ said Alderman James Vos, the Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth.
