‘Traffic congestion must be addressed’

To alleviate an escalating traffic congestion problem and grow the economy, the Western Cape government needs to provide improved, efficient and safe public transport, according to commercial director – Cape Town for the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), Brad Gower. “As the Western Cape has been a net growth area, traffic congestion is becoming more of a challenge, with public transport coming under more and more pressure. This has a negative impact on the efficient movement of citizens, which impacts on employees' time keeping, and results in lost working hours,” he said. Gower added that in general the Western Cape’s infrastructure was largely effective in a South African context. “It is one of the provinces with the most effective governance and service delivery,” he said. According to Gower, the port of Cape Town itself echoes the province’s service delivery issues. “However, it is impacted by excessive high summer winds, which in turn affect all shipment movements in and out of the port,” he added.