City of Cape Town to protect Baden Powell Drive from sand using nets that are '100% effective'
Baden Powell Drive is frequently blocked, causing huge delays, but the City of Cape Town has a plan.
Picture: Olga Ernst via Wikimedia Commons
Lester Kiewit speaks with Gregg Oelofse of the City of Cape Town.
Listen below.
Robert de Wet, a commuter from Glencairn who works in Somerset West, shared his frustrations with Baden Powell Drive with Kiewit.
On an average day, he travels 50 kilometres each way for work using Baden Powel Drive, which takes him about an hour if he leaves between 6 am and 6.15 am.
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If there are road closures his commute extends to 75 kilometres.
In the last two months, the road was blocked by sand six times.
Oelofse says this was not the best place to build a road because of the sand, but it is an important route that must be kept open.
He says there is a plan to manage this issue with wind nets which are 100% effective in protecting the road from sand.
“It is a completely natural phenomenon. We stuck a road in there and must manage it in perpetuity.”
- Gregg Oelofse, City of Cape Town
Oelofse urges the public not to tamper with the wind nets in any way.
“Don’t take them down. Don’t drive your vehicle through them.”
- Gregg Oelofse, City of Cape Town
Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.