The City of Cape Town is inviting the public to comment on the proposed draft informal trading plans for Gatesville and Athlone. The public has until Friday, 31 July 2020 to submit their comments.  The coronavirus pandemic has prompted changes in trading dynamics and the need to review the current informal trading plans. The City says this will help address some of the challenges and create an enabling, supportive and well-managed trading environment for all users of these public spaces.

The following solutions are being considered:
• Converting Gatesville CBD into a Friday and Saturday market and utilising the parking area for the envisaged market. It is anticipated that by converting this to a market, and relocating traders to the parking area, illegal trading, trading in front of formal businesses and traffic congestion will be minimised.
• Increasing the bay size from the current 4 square meters to a maximum of 12 square metres in the two areas.
• Including the informal businesses operating from the illegal structures in the trading plans.
• Introducing a precinct management approach in Gatesville.
• Introducing a traffic study on a model that will assist the City to address traffic congestion in Gatesville
• Other considerations for the Athlone area include closing economically unviable bays and markets, the numbering of bays in a logical order to make it easy for Law Enforcement to enforce the Informal Trading By-law effectively, repair and upgrading of the debilitated trading structures.

“The proposed changes will, among other things, address crime, provide bigger trading bays and most importantly enhance the ability of traders to adhere to the COVID-19 safety regulations. The City of Cape Town recognises the significance of the informal traders and its contribution to the economy and to poverty reduction. It also helps with the creation of employment opportunities that in turn contribute to the household income,” said Alderman Grant Twigg, Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Management.

The draft informal trading plans can be viewed at www.capetown.gov.za/haveyoursay or at Subcouncil 11 and 17 offices from 09:00 to 15:00 weekdays.

The public and interested parties or groups are given the opportunity to submit comments, recommendations or input to the municipality from 1 July 2020 to 31 July 2020.

Comment, input or recommendations can be submitted by email to:

• yoliswa.gogela@capetown.gov.za or ronel.struwe@capetown.gov.za or
• Online: www.capetown.gov.za/haveyoursay