Roads and Transport Member of the Executive Council (MEC), Ismail Vadi has criticised the City of Johannesburg mayor’s decision to halt the cycle lane project.
Speaking on Radio 702 on 14 September, Vadi labelled Mayor Herman Mashaba’s move as shortsighted and said it was an unfortunate approach the City was taking. “If we look at trends in developing and developed countries, cycling, or what we call non-motorised transport, is becoming a major means of mobility,” he said.
Vadi also highlighted that it was the Gauteng Provincial Government’s policy position that all cities in the province must have at least 30 kilometres of non-motorised transport lanes, adding, this was not just about cyclists.
“We just completed our Gauteng household survey and the result shows that more than 10 percent of people walk to work on a daily basis. We need to build infrastructure for such people and pedestrian sidewalks must also be built; we must not have a narrow view about this and make it… just about cyclists,” he added.Vadi mentioned that if used correctly, cycle lanes could ease traffic in Johannesburg, which is already experiencing heavy traffic congestion. The MEC said modern cities around the world were moving more into non-motorised mobility, because, among other things, it promotes healthy living, is good for the environment and is also economical. “I’m actually surprised that the City of Johannesburg – which is normally the leader in our country – is taking such a backwards move,” he said.
He lambasted the City of Johannesburg’s previous administration for failing to advocate for the proper use of cycle lanes. He said the City should have created a cycling culture and encouraged residents, especially university students, to cycle to and from university.
During his acceptance speech on 13 September, Mashaba announced that he was halting the bicycle lane project. According to him, R70 million was set aside for the development of bicycle lanes around the City over the next three years. “When every road in Johannesburg is tarred, maybe then we will look at bicycle lanes again,” he said.
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The man who was passionate about cycle lanes in the City, former mayor Mpho Parks Tau also weighed in on the issue. He said the new mayor’s move was unfortunate. He said the cycle lanes were a bid to create roads that cater for all. He added that the City had always tarred its roads. With cycle lanes, Tau wanted the City of Johannesburg to be Africa’s first cycle-friendly city.
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