Cape Town is all set to manage the cruise liner congestion. With several cruise liners docking this week, the city will receive two on the same day. The City of Cape Town advised the public to expect the increased traffic congestion upon their arrival.
Reportedly, the increased nautical traffic is a boon to economic prospects of Cape Town, so every effort is being made to minimise the traffic impact. The rise in traffic volumes are anticipated on Wednesday, when both the MSC Musica and the Norwegian Dawn will drop anchor in Cape Town Harbour.
The vessels will be carrying more than 5000 passengers and 2000 crew members, who will arrive between 5:00 am and 6:00 am on Wednesday morning, March 12, 2025 and will depart again from 4:00 pm in the afternoon.
City of Cape Town is working closely with the V&A Waterfront to mitigate traffic impacts, particularly on and around Nelson Mandela Boulevard, FW De Klerk Boulevard and Buitengracht Street. However, the motorists are urged to plan alternative routes around the Waterfront area during peak times, avoid long travel over this period, limit the non-essential travel in the CBD area.
The motorists can also consult the various online navigation tools to find the best route to their destinations. They should exercise patience and refrain from blocking inter-sections.
Passengers who will board today, are advised to arrive early and to use the Christiaan Barnaard and Marine Drive entrances to the docks instead of the general Waterfront access routes, to help in alleviating the impact on other road users.
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Safety and Security – Alderman JP Smith said that the Traffic Service is collaborating with the other city services and the V&A Waterfront to reduce traffic congestion.
Smith confirmed that they will have officers conducting point duty, particularly to prevent the blocking of intersections, which is arguably one of the chief irritations for other motorists and contributes to the gridlock.
He urged that where possible, please avoid the precinct on the day. If you are traveling in these areas, please be patient, courteous and abide by the rules of the road and the instructions of staff on the ground.
Considering this, Member of the Mayoral Committee for Urban Mobility – Councillor Rob Quintas mentioned that Cape Town’s status as a top global destination comes with inevitable spikes in traffic congestion, particularly during peak tourism periods.
This is a positive reflection of the city’s appeal as they recognise the challenges it can create for road users. The Urban Mobility Directorate is working closely with all stakeholders, including other city departments, to manage the impact and keep people moving as efficiently as possible.
According to Quintas, they need the cooperation of all motorists to follow the rules of the road, avoid creeping into intersections and be mindful in blocking intersections that only worsens congestion for everyone. Thoughtful and responsible driving will go a long way in ensuring smoother traffic flow for all.
The Traffic Signal Operators from the City of Cape Town will monitor conditions on Nelson Mandela Boulevard, FW De Klerk Boulevard and Buitengracht Street closely on Wednesday. The operators will use CCTV cameras to pin-point the location and extent of vehicle queues throughout the day and will activate appropriate signal timing plans to best manage these queues.
It aims to accommodate heavy traffic flows into the CBD, while also accommodating motorists who are leaving the area. 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 the areas of congestion on roadways.
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Economic Growth and Tourism – Alderman James Vos said that Cape Town has been experiencing one of its busiest tourism seasons ever.
Vos added that this is the result of years of hard work with city partners to position Cape Town as a globally connected destination. Cape Town is still in its peak visitor period with 76 ship calls, scheduled for the 2024-25 season. In addition to the Cape Town International Airport, to still process 217 international flights per week going to 31 destinations.
Also, Wesgro gathered data from the 2023-24 season shows that cruise passengers, vessels and crew from 67 ship calls generated r1.5 billion in expenditure and supported 1965 jobs across the sectors such as retail, hospitality and tourism services.