Thousands of tourists expected to visit the Mother City

Cape Town - A total of more than a hundred thousand tourists are
expected to throng to the centre of the Mother City as the festive
season is celebrated in a dozen major, crowd-attracting events.

However, as Councillor Belinda Walker, Ward Councillor for the CBD,
points out, the festivities will impact on those who live and trade in
the city centre.

"Every effort will be made to ensure that noise, increased traffic
volumes and post-event clean-ups are carefully controlled and managed so
that CBD residents and businesses are not badly affected."

She said the major scheduled CBD events will also impact on the
availability of parking and result in certain roads being closed to
traffic.

This includes the Adderley Street Night Market which will see this
thoroughfare closed to traffic between 5pm and 1am each evening from 16
December until 29 December (excluding 25 December).

Ms Walker further said the Mother City Queer Project Party will take
place at Harrington Street (between Roeland & Caledon Street) from 8am
on Saturday, until 8pm on Sunday, adding that this year's party will
host some 4 000 revellers.

A number of other events, particularly focusing on New Year's Eve, are
also scheduled.

As part of the Festive Season Safety Plan, the City of Cape Town's
Traffic Services has already started clamping down on motorists driving
under the influence of alcohol and speedsters.

According to Principal Inspector Merle Lourens, media spokesperson for
Cape Town Traffic Services, the legal alcohol limit is 0.05g/100ml
blood.

Meanwhile, the Central Drug Authority (CDA) has urged all motorists and
pedestrians to celebrate responsibly during the festive season by not
drinking alcohol and taking drugs when driving.

"Alcohol and drugs are the leading causes of road fatalities in South
Africa and affect one's ability to make sound judgments and therefore
impede on one's ability to drive safely," CDA Deputy Chairperson David
Bayever said last week. - BuaNews