Traffic Indaba

The Observatory Improvement District (OBSID) is holding a major “traffic indaba” at the Observatory Community Centre in October at which the community can get first-hand feedback from the authorities on perennial traffic problems plaguing the suburb.
Some of the sorest pain points of life in Observatory relate to traffic, including speeding, illegal parking, broken or non-visible traffic signs, congestion and huge trucks from the industrial side of the village trying to make their way through the narrow Obs streets.
These issues are constantly raised by residents to the OBSID, which plans to put together a panel of representatives from the Metro Police, City Traffic and the Police to face the community at the indaba, which will start at 10am on Saturday, 20 October.
Local ward councillor Brett Herron, who also happens to be the member of the mayoral committee in charge of Cape Town’s roads, will also be on the panel.
However, OBSID COO Ursula van Stavel says she is wary of the meeting degenerating into a complaining session dominated by a handful of angry residents.
Therefore, the plan is to gather written questions and complaints from the community about traffic issues by 1 October. These will be compiled and handed to the panel members so that they can research and prepare answers for the community. The idea is that the authorities are able to give concrete plans and progress reports to the community at the meeting.
There will be an opportunity for residents to question the panel at the end of their presentations.
Ursula said: "I want it to be a win-win situation...no one’s going to ambush anyone at the meeting."
She called on anyone with a traffic complaint or question to submit it to the OBSID in writing before 1 October. No verbal complaints will make it onto the agenda.
Send your traffic complaints, questions and suggestions to Ursula at COO@obsid.org.za