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Cape limits - readers respond

Cape Town - Wheels24's report about the Western Cape Provincial Road Traffic Bill calling for a raft of changes - including a blanket 10km/h reduction of all speed limits - for the province sparked an amazing response.

More than 200 Readers' Comments poured in, along with a number of e-mails, and for once most of the responses were reasoned - indeed reasonable! Few thought the blanket reduction was a good idea and provincial transport MEC Robin Carlisle came under serious attack for what many folk thought was not only a silly idea, but also dangerous.

The proposal calls for a maximum speed of 110km/h on open roads and 50km/h within city centres. Even lower limits are mooted near shops, schools and other public areas - 40km/h and 30km/h zones for areas of "high pedestrian concentration". 

Overall, readers felt the lower speed limits would frustrate drivers while doing nothing to reduce road deaths.

Curriemafia - I know CT has a rep of being laid back but have you driven at 50km/h? It's ridiculous !

George.slade.161 - If I have to drive at 50km/h, I will do it reverse ! It’s simply too slow.

Stormkaap - I would have great difficulty keeping to a 50km/h speed limit. There are other reasons that cause drivers to have road rage. My great gripe is when you have people driving in the fast lane and not wanting to give way the faster vehicles. Whatever happened to 'keep left, pass right'?

A WELCOME CHANGE FOR THE CAPE

Others welcomed the proposal stating that it would force drivers to change driving habits for the better.

Wesley.bischoff - A reduction in speed probably won't do much. People's driving HABITS need to change. Those people that jump red lights, stop signs, drive recklessly and without regard to other drivers, and people that talk/text on the phone while driving. If a person is texting while driving, then going 10km/h slower isn't going to make much of a difference.

Jocelia.petrick - Idiots! Speed is not the problem! Drunk drivers, drugged drivers and people not obeying the rules are the biggest problem. They are soooo narrow-minded! Idiots!

Some readers believed better enforcement of current laws was needed and that the lower limits would just be cash cows.

Ggjfnicholson - I really want to see all these changes enforced. They have to change all the speed limit signs, and still inform every driver in Cape Town of the changes. This also means every single taxi will be stopped and checked (what are the chances?). Money making scheme.

Barryboots - Don't change the rules, get off your fat bums and enforce the laws that are in place.

Moving violations, not stopping at a stop street, going through a traffic light when red, drunken driving, using cell phones when driving get the hoards of unlicensed drivers off the roads.

Changing the rules is the lazy way to say you are doing something = COP OUT by the SLAAPSTAD authorities.

Minxang.wang - The problem is enforcement and visibility of traffic officers and not speed. The city wants more revenue from fines.

Roarscurrin - This just means more people will be "speeding" in the laws eyes cause no one is going to drop their speeds for this. They need to get rid of corrupt cops and start in forcing the laws that they have instead of just changing them. Laziness in the paperwork department is to blame, and corruption!

pgkrause - Do you honestly think that reducing the speed limit by 10km/h is going to have any noticeable influence on the number of accidents on our roads?? And do you seriously consider the current speed limits to be excessive?? If not, than you're nothing but an attention seeking

Are Capetonians asleep behind the wheel? The article sparked debate amongst readers from the Western Cape and Gauteng:

Aaron.radebe.1 - Seriously? Capetonians already waft around at 60km/h on 120km/h highways. Why on earth must we drive even slower there? If there was one city in SA where I'd definitely say speeding was the least of the problems it would be Slaapstad. And, by the way, how much will it cost to change every single speed limit sign in the province?

Andre.vanderwesthuizen.96
- Aaron. you know i have been a Capetonian my whole life, nowadays i see more and more GP no plates in and around Cape town,now when you talk about slow,on the wrong side of the road,driving slow in the fast lane etc, it is the GP CARS.

The public is encouraged to submit written or e-mail comments on the bill before September 20, 2012.

Postal address:
Attention Mr M L Watters
Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works
Box 2603
Cape Town
8000
Fax to 021 483 2166

Share your views on the proposed bill in our Readers' Comments below or e-mail us and you could have your thoughts published on Wheels24.
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