DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT GUIDE Travel For The 2010 FIFA World Cup

Transcription

1 Travel DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT GUIDE For The 2010 FIFA World Cup 1 Booklet2.indd 1 4/19/10 9:28:16 PM

2 4. The City of Cape Town Cape Town is a diverse city and is regarded as the melting point for various different cultures in Southern Africa. One would be hard pressed to find a reason not to fall in love with one of South Africa s most iconic city. It has one of the most idyllic settings - nestled between the ocean and breath-taking mountains. The iconic Table Mountain rises above the city and has served as a mariner s landmark. On a clear day, the flat-topped mountain is visible 200km out to sea. Cape Town is the legislative capital of South Africa. It is a world-class cosmopolitan city with numerous sites of historical significance, and a lively night-life, as well as a large gay community. 56 Booklet2.indd 56 4/19/10 9:30:27 PM

3 Transport Overview Cape Town will offer visitors and residents safe and easily accessible public transport during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Rail, bus and other existing services i.e. metered taxis and car rental will cater for a wide variety of transport requirements, and will ensure that the Cape Town Stadium, the FIFA Fan Fest and the public viewing areas are adequately served. Event-related public transport will be added to the regular public transport system i.e. an airport shuttle to the Cape Town International Airport, a stadium shuttle to the Cape Town Stadium and Bus & Rail Park and Ride services. Travel around the city will be served by an inner city transport service. 57 Booklet2.indd 57 4/19/10 9:30:37 PM

4 Airport Shuttle Services An airport-to-city service will run from the bus station at the airport, via the N2 and Eastern Boulevard, to the main transport hub. This service will operate 24 hours a day for the duration of the event. 58 Booklet2.indd 58 4/19/10 9:30:39 PM

5 Stadium Match Shuttle A free shuttle bus service for match ticket holders will run from the main transport hub to Cape Town Stadium in Green Point. This service will operate from six hours before kickoff, until four hours after the final whistle. Buses will depart every three to five minutes, depending on demand.! 59 Booklet2.indd 59 4/19/10 9:30:40 PM

6 Inner City Transport Services The inner-city bus service, which will run 24 hours a day, will travel from the main transport hub and around the city s main streets i.e. Heerengracht, Coen Steytler, Long and Loop Street and back to the main transport hub. This route is supplemented by the Queens Beach and Hout Bay services that serve a wider city area providing convenient access to the Waterfront and the Atlantic Seaboard. 60 Booklet2.indd 60 4/19/10 9:30:41 PM

7 Bus Park n Ride Services A free (match ticket holders only) shuttle service to the Main Transport Hub will run from the University of Cape Town, which is one of the three Park & Ride sites provided by the city. This service will operate during the same time as the stadium shuttle allowing spectators from UCT to transfer and proceed to the stadium. The other two park and ride sites are situated at Camps Bay High School and Kronendal Primary School in Hout Bay. These sites will be served by the Hout Bay Service which is a paid service and will operate from four hours before kick-off until 02: Booklet2.indd 61 4/19/10 9:30:43 PM

8 Rail System Rail forms the backbone of the entire metropole s transport system consisting of 14 service lines and 119 stations connecting Cape Town to neighbouring district municipalities i.e. Cape Winelands District. Cape Metrorail will extend its existing services to operate until 02:00 daily for the duration of the World Cup event. Major stations have been identified as convenient park-and-ride locations, giving access to more than remote parking bays. These stations will have additional security, and will offer event-related activities. For detailed schedules visit Existing Services In addition to the event related transport services, visitors to the City of Cape Town can make use of other existing transport services listed below. Metropolitan Bus system Minibus Taxis Metered Taxis Car Rental Private Shuttles 62 For more information about these services please visit the Event Venue Plans Stadium Area The Cape Town Stadium is situated in Green Point and is located within 2.5 km of the CBD. The shuttle service from the MTH to the stadium will pick up and drop Booklet2.indd 62 4/19/10 9:30:47 PM

9 off spectators at the Stadium IRT Station on Western Boulevard.Pedestrian access into the stadium is through the underpass below the traffic circle. This pedestrian underpass is linked to the dedicated pedestrian route i.e. the fan walk that runs from the Cape Town Station on Adderley Street, to Waterkant Street and along Somerset Road to the stadium. On non-match days, for the full duration of the event, the following roads in the vicinity of the stadium will be closed or will have restricted access: Granger Bay Boulevard Fritz Sonnenberg Road Vlei Road Fort Wynyard Street Ebenezer Road between Port Rd & Prestwich St. Fan Park & CBD Wide Area The Main Transport Hub (MTH) is located on Hertzog Boulevard in the CBD, close to the Cape Town Station (rail) and the Station Deck Taxi Rank. In the city centre, Darling Street between Adderley and Buitenkant Street, together with the side roads feeding into Darling, will be closed for the full duration of the event to facilitate the activities associated with the FIFA Fan Fest on the Grand Parade. The FIFA Fan Fest will be open every day for the duration of the event from 10:00 to 24:00. Public Viewing Areas Cape Town has identified four Public Viewing Areas (PVAs) within the city and these PVAs are well served by regular public transport services that operate from ranks at nearby rail stations and public transport interchanges. Bellville Velodrome is served by the Durban Road route, which links directly to Bellville Station. Athlone Civic Centre is located on Klipfontein Road, and within 300 m of Athlone Station. Oliver Tambo Sports Hall in Khayelitsha is located on Lansdowne Road, and within 500 m of Nonqubela Station. Swartklip Sports Hall in Mitchells Plain is located on Spine Road, and within walking distance of Mitchells Plain Station and town centre. On match days, the following roads will be closed to the general public, including freight and delivery vehicles, for seven hours before the scheduled kick-off, until approximately four hours after the final whistle, depending on security considerations: Hertzog Boulevard Heerengracht & Adderley St. between Coen Steytler & Strand Street Hans Strijdom Avenue Western Boulevard up to Beach Road in Three Anchor Bay Sections of Waterkant and Riebeek Street Somerset Road from Buitengracht to Ebenezer Road Sections of Bree, Long and Loop Street around Waterkant Street 63 Booklet2.indd 63 4/19/10 9:30:51 PM

10 64 Getting In By car The vast majority of roads in and around Cape Town are in a very good condition, making travelling by car an easy issue. However, please be aware of hijackers at night or at traffic lights. The danger is not as high as often emphasized by the media, but a good portion of precaution should be taken. Several major highways start in Cape Town: N1 runs north-east, passing Paarl, Bloemfontein and Johannesburg on its way from Cape Town to Harare in Zimbabwe. Also a good choice if you want to go to Kimberley and the northern Drakensberg. N2 runs along the East Coast towards the Garden Route, George and Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape, through the Wild Coast up to Durban and Swaziland. N7 goes north along the West Coast to the Northern Cape city of Springbok and to Namibia. Also follow it to go to Upington and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. Hiring a car in South Africa is not as expensive as in Europe or many other countries. Petrol is also cheap compared to Europe, but might be a bit more expensive than in the US. By plane Cape Town International Airport is the second largest airport in South Africa (the largest being the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg). There are several flights daily to Johannesburg, Durban and all other major South African cities, as well as the Namibian cities of Windhoek, Swakopmund and Walvis Bay and other destinations, including Gaborone, Maun and Nairobi. The most used airlines for international flights from Europe, the US and Asia include South African Airways, Lufthansa, British Airways, Delta Airlines,KLM, Singapore Airlines and Malaysian. Further international flights arrive from Buenos Aires, Doha, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Kuala Lumpur, London, New York City, Atlanta and Singapore. Major local airlines include South African Airways, British Airways (Comair) and low-cost airlines Kulula.com and 1Time. By train The Muizenberg to Simon s Town Metrorail tracks run right along the ocean. Great views. All scheduled South African passenger trains are run by PRASA (the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa), which has different divisions for long-distance (inter-city) trains and commuter (suburban) trains. Shosholoza Meyl operates inter-city trains and MetroRail operates commuter trains in major cities. Shosholoza Meyl has three classes of inter-city trains : Economy Class, Tourist Class and Premier Classe. In economy class there are seats only (no bunk beds), tourist class provides bunk beds for overnight trips (bring a sleeping bed or buy bedding on the train) and premier class is luxurious and comfortable, with all meals and bedding provided. Economy and tourist class trains have a buffet car for food. Prices on the three classes vary accordingly. Cape Town s main train station is located in the city centre, on the corner of Adderley Street and Strand Street. All trains to or from Cape Town arrive and depart from here. There are inter-city trains to: Johannesburg via Kimberley every day of the week, with two trains per day on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday (Economy and Tourist Class); Durban via Kimberley, Bloemfontein and Pietermaritzburg on Monday and Wednesday (Economy and Tourist Class); Port Elizabeth via George and Oudtshoorn on Friday (Premier Classe only); East London on Sunday (Economy Class only); Queenstown on Thursday (Economy Class only). MetroRail has two classes on commuter trains in and around Cape Town: MetroPlus (also called First Class) and Metro (called Third Class). MetroPlus is more comfortable and less crowded but also more expensive. Every trainset has both MetroPlus and Metro coaches; the MetroPlus coaches are always on the end of the train nearest Cape Town. Prices are cheap so it is better to be more comfortable and use MetroPlus. Note that there are steep fines if you are caught in a MetroPlus coach with a Metro ticket (vice versa is allowed). MetroRail commuter trains are a great way to get between Cape Town and neighbouring towns such as Stellenbosch, Strand, Paarl, Somerset West, Malmesbury, Worcester and through the Southern Suburbs (Claremont, Wynberg, Retreat) Booklet2.indd 64 4/19/10 9:30:53 PM

11 or to the beaches at Muizenberg, Kalk Bay, Fish Hoek, Glencairn and Simon s Town. The train line from Cape Town to Simon s Town is fabulous; from Muizenberg south to Simon s Town it runs right next to the sea. You can often see whales, and if it s windy you may have sea spray hitting the train windows. For the best views make sure you sit on the east side of the train (the left side as you face away from Cape Town and towards Simon s Town). You can buy a Tourist hop on, hop off ticket for the Cape Town-Simon s Town route that allows you to get off and on any train for the entire day. Trains to Stellenbosch run every two hours (more or less), but this journey might take a while. Ask at the ticket counter if there is an earlier train you could use, as there are also trains to Stellenbosch starting in Bellville and Eerste River. By bus All major bus companies have Intercity connections from Cape Town, taking you to other cities in South Africa and to Windhoek in Namibia. There might be up to 6 buses a day to certain cities. The starting point is next to the train station at the corner of Adderley and Strand Street, near the Golden Acre building. Please ask at the nearby tourist information or in your hotel for connections and where your bus is going to leave, as finding your bus can become difficult. Over and above, there are a few bus services available while travelling from eastern Africa, notably Tanzania and Kenya. The general route followed is Nairobi (Kenya), Dar-essalaam (Tanzania), Lusaka (Zambia) and Harare (Zimbabwe) in order to reach Jo burg. The journey from Nairobi takes about two to three days. Greyhound, tel: +27 (0) Intercape Mainliner, tel: +27 (0) Translux. SA Roadlink, tel: +27 (0) Bus tickets can also be obtained from Computicket. Cape Town is also on the Baz Bus route. By boat Most of the larger cruise lines, such as Princess Cruises offer Cape Town as one of their destinations, but you can also try something different. RMS St Helena, This passenger/cargo ship is the last working Royal Mail Ship and stops at Cape Town on its way to St Helena. 65 Booklet2.indd 65 4/19/10 9:30:56 PM