The City of Cape Town is not imposing a congestion charge, nor is it considering it as part of the current draft budget.
Mayco member of Urban Mobility, Rob Quintas, sets the record straight after the report came out that there may be a Possible congestion tax for drivers Entering busy areas.
Last week, Stellenbosch University logistics expert Stefan Krigsman, speaking at the recent Urban Mobility Strategic Dialogue organized by the Cape Chamber, said the city is moving Among the viable options for funding and fixing public transportation.
“There is no other option for public transport to generate revenue other than imposing congestion taxes, development contributions and privatizing elements of the system,” he said.
The city has previously suggested a “traffic tax.” Its Travel Demand Management (TDM) Strategy, Which was put out for public comment in November last year.
Quintas said the misunderstanding comes from the TDM strategy, which is a long-term, forward-looking policy framework.
“While the document references a wide range of theoretical measures based on international case studies, it clearly states that congestion charging will not be considered, let alone implemented, until public transport is the most reliable and effective travel option. That point has not yet been reached and remains a long-term goal.
“Furthermore, there is currently no provision in national law that would enable cities to impose congestion charges,” Quintas said.
He said that on the TDM strategy, the city is currently reviewing and incorporating the feedback received from residents and stakeholders.
“Once this process is complete and the revised strategy is formally approved, the Urban Mobility Directorate will move on to develop a detailed implementation plan. This will include clear timelines, phased interventions and resource allocation.
“In the interim, the city is focusing on practical, near-term measures to improve mobility for all residents. These include investing in more reliable and integrated public transportation, expanding park-and-ride facilities, improving walking and cycling infrastructure, encouraging flexible and remote work arrangements, and using parking management to support the shift away from personal vehicle use,” Quintas said.
Good Party councillor, Sandra Dixon, expressed her concerns, saying that this policy direction should worry ratepayers.
“At a time when households are already under pressure from rising municipal costs, the idea of charging residents for road use – without first providing reliable and accessible public transport options – risks placing an undue burden on those who have no choice but to drive.
“The city needs to be clear about whether this is a serious proposal, what form it will take and whether it is about managing congestion or simply creating another revenue source,” he said.
He also took issue with the City of Cape Town's public participation process for the 2026/27 draft budget.
The city's introduced budget for the period July 2026-June 2027, which outlines key policy decisions and priorities, sets out rate increases and indicates where it will spend the money on programs and services, is available for public comment from April 1 to April 30, 2026.
Dixon said the current public participation process raises serious concerns about whether residents are being meaningfully informed or intentionally misled.
“What we are seeing in subcouncil budget activities is not genuine public participation. This is a carefully managed process where the Democratic Alliance government presents a simplified version of the budget, avoids meaningful financial scrutiny, and allows everyday service delivery grievances to be discussed. This is not by accident. This is by design.
“The Municipal Systems Act is clear: public participation must be meaningful, informed and able to influence decisions. The Constitution obliges municipalities to actively encourage community participation in matters of governance. What is happening currently falls far short of that standard,” Dixon said.
Dixon said that rather than preparing residents to interrogate the budget, the city's presentations focused on selected ward-level projects that create the perception of delivery, simplified tariff percentages without explaining the real financial impact, and generic service narratives that distract from the real costs residents will face from July 1, 2026.
“The budget is not a report-back session. It is a financial plan that directly sets out what residents will pay and what services they will receive. If residents are not guided to properly inquire about it, the process becomes nothing more than a tick-box exercise to legitimize decisions already made. Residents must understand the stakes,” she said.
“We urge every resident, civic organization and community structure to: Engage directly with the actual budget documents, not just presentations.”
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