Gauteng Transport MEC Ismail Vadi doesn’t believe Johannesburg’s cycle lanes should be abandoned.
He said on Monday that he hoped to engage executive mayor of the City of Johannesburg Herman Mashaba about his opposition to them.
Mashaba had said‚ during his inaugural speech in August‚ that he “was concerned to note that R70-million has been set aside over the next three years for the development of bicycle lanes around our city”.
He added: “I intend putting a halt to this project. When every road in Johannesburg is tarred‚ maybe then we will look at bicycle lanes again.”
Vadi said he would be meeting with Mashaba soon and “we will find each other on this matter”.
The MEC was an advocate of the lanes‚ telling Radio 702 on Monday morning that “best practice in other major cities in the world is that cycling should seen as a form of mobility‚ it’s cost-effective‚ it’s healthy‚ it’s good for the environment‚ and I think that is the way to go”.
Vadi said that to an integrated “system required high levels of coordination and cooperation”‚ and “if the municipal and provincial entities don’t work together‚ we can’t build a public transport system”.
This was particularly so given Gauteng’s spatial development‚ Vadi added.
Recently‚ the City of Johannesburg used the World Ecomobility Festival to test new ways in which Sandton could be decongested. There was limited access for private cars while more space on the road was given to public transport‚ pedestrians and of course cyclists.
Then executive mayor Parks Tau used the festival to unpack some of the interventions that the city was embarking on to encourage residents to walk and cycle in the city.
Among the interventions was the construction of over 100km of cycle and non-motorised transport infrastructure.
Cycle lanes have been constructed in various parts of the city to encourage the public to use non-motorised transport. These include the City Centre‚ parts of Soweto‚ Hillbrow‚ Berea and other suburbs. Tau is a known cyclist himself who is a big fan of active living.
But during the election campaign‚ Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema lashed out at Tau’s administration for prioritising bicycle lanes over bread and butter issues.
Malema’s wishes were when Mashaba‚ as new mayor‚ announced that construction of cycle lanes would not be continued. – TMG Digital
Gauteng transport hopes to changes Joburg mayor’s mind about cycle lanes
Gauteng Transport MEC Ismail Vadi doesn’t believe Johannesburg’s cycle lanes should be abandoned.
He said on Monday that he hoped to engage executive mayor of the City of Johannesburg Herman Mashaba about his opposition to them.
Mashaba had said‚ during his inaugural speech in August‚ that he “was concerned to note that R70-million has been set aside over the next three years for the development of bicycle lanes around our city”.
He added: “I intend putting a halt to this project. When every road in Johannesburg is tarred‚ maybe then we will look at bicycle lanes again.”
Vadi said he would be meeting with Mashaba soon and “we will find each other on this matter”.
The MEC was an advocate of the lanes‚ telling Radio 702 on Monday morning that “best practice in other major cities in the world is that cycling should seen as a form of mobility‚ it’s cost-effective‚ it’s healthy‚ it’s good for the environment‚ and I think that is the way to go”.
Vadi said that to an integrated “system required high levels of coordination and cooperation”‚ and “if the municipal and provincial entities don’t work together‚ we can’t build a public transport system”.
This was particularly so given Gauteng’s spatial development‚ Vadi added.
Recently‚ the City of Johannesburg used the World Ecomobility Festival to test new ways in which Sandton could be decongested. There was limited access for private cars while more space on the road was given to public transport‚ pedestrians and of course cyclists.
Then executive mayor Parks Tau used the festival to unpack some of the interventions that the city was embarking on to encourage residents to walk and cycle in the city.
Among the interventions was the construction of over 100km of cycle and non-motorised transport infrastructure.
Cycle lanes have been constructed in various parts of the city to encourage the public to use non-motorised transport. These include the City Centre‚ parts of Soweto‚ Hillbrow‚ Berea and other suburbs. Tau is a known cyclist himself who is a big fan of active living.
But during the election campaign‚ Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema lashed out at Tau’s administration for prioritising bicycle lanes over bread and butter issues.
Malema’s wishes were when Mashaba‚ as new mayor‚ announced that construction of cycle lanes would not be continued. – TMG Digital
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