“Encourage Public Transport”: SA Reacts as Cape Town Plans Peak-Hour Road Charges to Cut Traffic
- Cape Town’s city council approved a revised Travel Demand Management strategy targeting peak-hour
- The plan explores charging motorists to enter busy areas during rush hour and tightening parking rules near new
- Residents have mixed views on whether the proposals will actually ease Cape Town’s notorious traffic gridlock
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Cape Town could soon charge motorists to drive into congested areas during peak hours. The city council approved a revised Travel Demand Management strategy on Wednesday, 5 August 2026, outlining a range of measures designed to reduce the number of single-occupancy vehicles clogging major routes during morning and afternoon rush hours.
The strategy, according to an article by Newsroom ZA, does not introduce any charges immediately. Instead, it sets a broad direction that would require further planning, public consultation, funding and formal approval before any specific measure could take effect.
What Cape Town is considering
Among the proposals under review is a congestion-pricing system that would charge drivers to access certain high-traffic zones during peak periods. Before anything is finalised, the City would need to assess which areas qualify, what fees would apply and whether adequate public transport alternatives exist for affected commuters.
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Parking policy is also on the table. The strategy looks at reducing parking requirements for new developments, capping parking supply in busy nodes and reviewing pricing structures. The goal is to make private car trips less convenient without leaving commuters stranded.
The article also reports that Cape Town is weighing an expansion of priority lanes for high-occupancy vehicles, including minibus taxis, buses and lift clubs. The City argues that dedicated lanes can move significantly more people through the same stretch of road. Expanded park-and-ride facilities near bus and rail stations form part of the same thinking.
Employers could also be brought into the picture. The strategy encourages businesses to consider flexible hours, staggered start times or remote work arrangements to spread demand across the day and ease pressure on key corridors.
The announcement stirred debate online, with Capetonians weighing in on Newsroom ZA’s Facebook post:
Residents react to the proposal
@Sean Wheller said:
“Encourage public transport. Not Taxis. We need the trains working and even extended, public busses connecting with trains.”
@Andreas Mulder wrote:
“Instead of having the taxi and bus lane on the right, have it on the left.”
@Manazir Is suggested:
“How about banning entry of trucks into the city via N1, N2, and N7 from 6 am to 9 am and banning exit from the city between 3?”
@David Friedman asked:
“Didn’t the DA say no to toll roads in the Cape?”
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Source: Briefly News
