Jacob Beute, Muizenberg
Over the past 10 years, there has been much, high density, residential development in Muizenberg East.
This has now resulted in bottlenecks and gridlock traffic at the Sandvlei mouth crossing, and at the Main Road traffic lights.
During the afternoon rush hour, between 5pm and 7pm, traffic, at times, will pile up, almost, all the way back to Kalk Bay and Lake- side.
I feel much for the many residents affected that live along the Main, Atlantic, Albertyn and Promenade roads. They are being exposed to car fumes for hours each day, with properties, now devalued accordingly.
Contrary to the above, during the many years of gridlock, at the Muizenberg to Kalk Bay Road works, car fumes were not a problem. Motorists would switch off for 10 to 20 minutes, read a book or just relax and catch up.
I suggest that the same be done at most of Cape Town’s, residential rush hour bottle- necks.
Idling for 10 minutes, in creeping traffic, uses, on average, one litre of fuel. For 20 minutes, this equates to two litres.
Should one be gridlocked twice a day, for say, a total of 30 minutes, three litres of fuel will be consumed, while covering only two or three kilometres.
Add to that the excessive wear on engine, gearbox, clutch and brakes, and one can only imagine how travel costs will skyrocket.
One need not be a mathematician, to calculate, that with that amount of fuel wasted, each day, on average, one should be able to travel 30km instead of only 3km.
Stop-go will save the country millions and greatly increase mental and physical health, for both driver and residents affected.
The Kalk Bay roadworks have shown us how it should be done.
