Skateboarding menace in Hout Bay raises safety concerns for motorists

Residents and motorists in Hout Bay say fast-moving skateboarders using public roads are creating dangerous situations and heightening fears of serious accidents.

Drivers report frequent near misses on steep routes where skateboarders descend at high speed, sometimes weaving close to moving vehicles.

Herman Davids from Llandudno said the unpredictability of skaters makes daily travel stressful, as they can appear suddenly in traffic."I drive these roads every day, and it's terrifying to think that a skateboarder might come flying out of nowhere. You just can’t predict their movements."

Another Hout Bay resident, Fredeline Thomson, said the rate of skateboarders using the public roads appeared to have increased, with more using the road "in order to take risks".

"These skateboarders are actually looking for the risk, and there is a huge thrill in placing your life on the line like that," she said. "Until something goes terribly wrong, now you traumatise a driver, and you possibly lose a life, which is not fair at all because it all started with being irresponsible."

Downhill routes that skateboarders seem to favour include Suikerbossie Hill, Chapman's Peak Drive, and Karbonkel Road, which runs down from the township of Hangberg to the harbour.

Randy Anderton from Hout Bay has been longboarding for 9 years and even travelled the world to take on some of the steepest hill challenges. "I used to race down those hills as well, and although I am not condoning or saying it's okay, I very much think it's the thrill and risk that makes them do it all the time," he said.

"That is why I started entering competitions and travelling with my board, because you are in a controlled environment and there are safety measures in place."

Mr Anderton encouraged his fellow skaters to be more considerate, and said: "You guys are already risking your lives, but don't risk the life of somebody else. You also don't want to scar them for the rest of their lives by driving over you."

Ward councillor and mayoral committee member for Urban Mobility, Robert Quintas, said the issue of skateboarding and other activities, especially young people on the roads in traffic and pulling dangerous stunts, is of "serious concern".

However, he said, enforcement is complicated when those involved are minors, as legal protections limit how officers can intervene without appropriate supervision. "This limits what enforcers can do, in terms of putting minors into a vehicle, bringing them to a station and then calling parents to collect them and speaking with them," Mr Quintas said.

He added that it is impossible to install infrastructure to curb "dangerous behaviour on Class 3 roads".

The Main and Victoria roads, due to their high traffic volumes, public transport and freight movement are some of the problem areas identified by the City of Cape Town.

"NGOs with City agencies have attempted to have educational programs around this im communities in the past, however it is my firm belief, that parents and caregivers need to step up and step in and take some responsibility in educating their children and having a more active role in knowing where they are and what they are up to at all times,” Mr Quintas said.

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