There is no congestion charge being introduced in Cape Town in the near future, the city has said.
It was responding to recent media reports causing “unnecessary alarm” that a congestion charge would be imposed on vehicles entering high-traffic zones during peak hours to encourage a shift to public transport or carpooling.
A congestion charge was one of the options listed in the city’s draft Travel Demand Management (TDM) Strategy, which aims to resolve the city’s notorious traffic issues.
According to the 2024 Global Traffic Scorecard, Cape Town was ranked the ninth most congested city in the world, with motorists losing an average of 94 hours per year to delays.
“A congestion charge is not being implemented now or in the near future,” Cape Town’s media office said in a statement this week.
“Sensationalist reports have misrepresented a single idea in our revised TDM Strategy, a document that maps our path to building a city with less congestion and more travel choices into the future.
“The strategy clearly states that the city would not consider or even investigate a congestion tax or charge until public transport is the most reliable and effective option to travel. We are investing heavily in Cape Town’s public transport offering but there is still a very long way to go before buses and trains are a reliable and attractive alternative to private cars. Regardless, at this stage there is not even provision for congestion charging in national legislation,” it said.
The document includes measures that could be considered in the long term, based on studies of other world cities that have implemented congestion charges to deal with heavy traffic, including London, Stockholm and Milan. These cities charge vehicles to drive in defined city areas to reduce traffic and pollution.
“Only measures that are appropriate for the Cape Town of today will be implemented,” said the statement. “A congestion charge in our current system would restrict access, not increase it, which is the opposite of our goal to make mobility more equitable for all Capetonians.”
The city is asking residents to share their thoughts on measures that can be implemented in the immediate future.
“We are proposing practical, positive measures to improve how we get around today, including encouraging remote work and better access to local services, improving park and ride facilities to support public transport use, and making pedestrian and cycling experiences safer and more enjoyable for everyone.”
To read the full revised TDMS, visit: www.capetown.gov.za/haveyoursay. To comment or submit recommendations e-mail UrbanMobility.CT@capetown.gov.za (quote reference 110252603).
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