V&A CEO Agrees Traffic is a Challenge — But Says the Solution Lies with Government

Drawing up plans was the fun part. Discussing traffic implications of the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront’s R24-billion expansion was always going to be hard work.

As expected, traffic congestion was a key talking point last week at a Mouille Point Ratepayers Association Annual General Meeting, where the guest speaker was V&A Waterfront chief executive Graham Wood.  According to media reports, Wood had some explaining to do at question time when he addressed traffic concerns linked to the new development.  

“The broader traffic congestion problem has to be solved by the city and provincial government,” Wood told the ratepayers according to a report in the People’s Post. “The solution has got to be about getting more people onto rail than changing the mode of transport as opposed to people being in cars and on the roads.”

Residents and MPRA leadership pointed out that while massive commercial, residential, and maritime developments are being poured into the precinct, the surrounding road infrastructure remains exactly the same. Residents questioned how the gridlock would be managed both during construction and in the long term.

Wood reportedly said the Granger Bay precinct mixed-use development, which included multiple amenities, was partly a response to Cape Town’s traffic reality, and not intended to aggravate it. 

The recently appointed CEO also updated residents on the process of obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals, expected to continue until late next year. “We are in the process of going through our environmental impact assessment (EIA) and ICMA land reclamation application processes. We have to apply for a national government approval through the Integrated Coastal Management Act for the reclamation of part of the ocean to create the bay,” he said. 

The R24-billion development project encompasses multiple phases, including the Granger Bay precinct, a new luxury hotel development, and a superyacht marina.