Stellenbosch Trail Fund’s (STF) new bicycle parking facility was meant to cut theft and ease congestion, said Ernst Gouws, an STF director. Six months on, it sits mostly empty, said Bophelele Mbobo, an STF security guard at the site.
“We would love to see more public use of it,” said Gouws.
Stellenbosch Trail Fund’s “Bike Park and Walk” facility on Andringa Street, Stellenbosch, operates on weekdays from 07:45 to 17:15. The site stands mostly empty at 10:00 on 1 September in Stellenbosch Central. PHOTO: Grace Henderson
The “Bike Park and Walk” facility, which opened on 27 March, is located on Andringa Street, directly across from Eikestad Mall, in Stellenbosch Central.
It consists of 24 bicycle parking bays secured inside a metal pen. It is designed to curb bicycle theft, ease traffic congestion, and promote cycling as part of Stellenbosch’s “green and cycling economies”, said Unathi Msophi, a manager at STF and the site’s facilitator.
STF, a public-benefit organisation (PBO), granted the pilot project “a period of about six months” to test public demand and to streamline their operational processes.
Yet, that period has now lapsed. Usage has fallen short of expectations, Mbobo confirmed.
“There are 24 [parking] docks, and on average we have less than 10 bikes [parked] a day,” he said.
“Most [cyclists] don’t use our facility. They prefer using outside, because it’s free.”
On Adringa Street, there is a public bicycle parking bay, which is free to use.
In partnership with Stellenbosch Municipality, STF’s facility charges users R5 for two hours.
Bophelele Mbobo, a Stellenbosch Trail Fund security guard at the facility, safeguards a bicycle mid-morning on 31 August. PHOTO: Grace Henderson
Gouws attributed the slow uptake to poor timing, noting that the park’s launch coincided with the onset of autumn and the region’s rainy season.
“We launched at the end of summer,” said Gouws. “In hindsight, this was badly timed.”
Gouws explained that lengthy municipal approval processes had delayed the launch, meaning STF had not anticipated the opening would fall in colder weather.
“We’re hoping to have a relaunch of the site in October, when summer begins,” he said.
This will involve new marketing and advertisement initiatives for the facility, according to Gouws.
He confirmed that the STF team has a meeting scheduled for next week to discuss the logistics.
Each parking bay has a locking mechanism and key. A security camera also monitors the parking area. PHOTO: Grace Henderson
The initiative formed part of Stellenbosch Municipality’s broader Transport Plan, designed to promote Non-Motorised Transport (NMT), said Stuart Grobbelaar, spokesperson of the municipality, at the launch in March.
Gouws attributed limited operating hours as a contributing factor to the site’s low traction.
“Many people have requested that we keep the site open for longer, especially students who study into the night,” he said. “But this would require double shifts or more employees.”
With one full-time on-site security guard, Gouws contended that this could not be justified given its low public usage.
“It’s decently slower than we expected,” said Gouws.
“[STF] is very proud of the site’s design and infrastructure. It was well constructed” he said.
After several attempts from SMF News to get comment from Stuart Grobbelaar, the Stellenbosch Municipality spokesperson, he was unable to provide comment by time of publication.