Cape Town’s new plan to fix one of its most dangerous roads

The City of Cape Town wants to introduce a compulsory heavy vehicle stop on Kloof Nek Road to address the spate of accidents.

Kloof Nek, originally built in 1848, is an important route that runs from the city centre along Signal Hill and Lion’s Head towards Table Mountain.

It is one of the main roads connecting the city bowl to adjacent areas on the other side of the mountain, such as Camps Bay and Clifton, but has become notorious for the number of accidents that occur on it.

The area’s topography means Kloof Nek is one of the steepest roads in Cape Town. It also twists and turns along the hillside and leads into commercial and residential areas.

The road has become the site of several accidents over the years, usually from heavy goods vehicles that have suffered issues like brake failures.

One of the most recent high-profile examples occurred in late 2024 when a driver lost control of a cement truck, which barreled down the road, colliding with 17 other vehicles and seriously injuring more than 10 people.

Another accident took place in April this year involving a collision between a minibus taxi, a truck, and a sedan, where the taxi reportedly suffered a brake failure while attempting to overtake a delivery bike.

Francine Higham, ward councillor of the area around Kloof Nek, previously explained that it is classified as an arterial route that is intended to cut down traveling time between two major destinations.

This places restrictions on what the city can do to address safety issues, as it cannot implement traffic calming measures like speed bumps.

Recent actions taken by Cape Town management include placing extra signs to notify users to slow down, installing an additional traffic signal at the top of the road, and re-commissioning a dormant speed camera to enforce compliance.

New proposal for a heavy vehicle stop

Cape Town has submitted a proposal to build a compulsory heavy vehicle stop lane along Kloof Nek Road in the city-bound direction.

The lane will be located approximately 150 metres downhill from the pedestrian signal on Tafelberg Road.

Due to the limited space along the route, the plan is to reserve the left-hand lane for heavy vehicles for a distance of 250 metres, while general traffic will be required to take the right-hand lane.

New signage and road markings will be displayed to guide heavy vehicles to the demarcated section, requiring them to stop, engage low gear, and maintain low gear for the remainder of the downhill stretch.

The city has opened a public participation process for comment, which closes on 16 October 2025.

It will also host an information session this Wednesday where individuals can ask any questions they may have about the planned changes to the road.

“We are inviting residents and stakeholders to join the project team for an information session on Wednesday, 17 September 2025 between 15:00 and 18:00 at the Council Chambers in Wale Street where they will have the opportunity to ask any questions they may have,” said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility, Councillor Rob Quintas.

“Our aim is to implement the most effective measures to improve safety along this busy access route between the CBD and the Atlantic Seaboard.”