DEAR Editor,-
For the last two long weekends during April and May, we have had bikers and racing cyclists. With the first event, we had the noise, and with the second event from May 1 to 3, we were subjected to hours of long queues of cars being forced to take alternate routes, but achieving nothing.
Motorists were kept stationary in long, long queues waiting, while traffic officials decided when they would allow entry to intersections or any other direction. This was done as slowly as possible, while they carried on laughing and having conversations with taxi drivers and pedestrians.
How could the organisers have contemplated allowing this inconvenience? Not only were the majority of businesses from Manaba through to Ramsgate affected, but there were no alternative routes, which rendered all completely cut off from customers and trade. The hugely expensive hired road barriers lined each and every road, with traffic officers all displaying complete arrogance and no public relations attitude towards confused and mainly furious drivers.
Did the planners of this race consider that many people were down for a relaxing long weekend and were subjected to not being able to get anywhere, having to backtrack for kilometres to even get to the beaches in that area?
So much for all the praise given as to how our area would benefit commercially from having events like this. There should have been far more public notification regarding the route and the event. Not only are we subjected to (at times), no water, no electricity, but now no access to where anyone wants or needs to go.
Thank you Hibiscus Coast Municipality and Ugu South Coast Tourism – you certainly know how to make our lives difficult!
J COOK
Uvongo
