The Safety and Security Portfolio Committee of the City of Cape Town approved the amended Traffic Bylaw at a special meeting on Wednesday 13 May.
The amendments aim to further assist in reducing dangerous behaviour among road users, regulate vehicle safety and traffic usage, and provide for increased vehicle impoundment and nuisance control in public transport operations.
Stronger impoundment and enforcement measures
Central to the amendments are provisions for impounding vehicles and related penalties. These include vehicles used in illegal street racing, where the driver is under the influence of alcohol or drugs or does not have a valid licence, situations where a vehicle is driven on a public road in a reckless manner that poses an immediate or imminent danger to the lives of passengers, other road users, or pedestrians, and vehicles fitted with false number plates.
Addition of excessive noise provision
“Following the conclusion of the public-participation process, one additional provision has been included allowing for impoundment where a motor vehicle is operated in contravention of Section 46 of the existing by-law by causing excessive noise,” said the City’s Safety and Security Portfolio Committee chair, Mzwakhe Nqavashe.
“We thank everyone who took the time to participate in this process, which is designed to improve road safety in our city. The amendments allow the City to enforce a zero-tolerance approach to reckless driving behaviour, help create a safer and more orderly transport system, and encourage responsible driver behaviour.”
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Public participation process
The public-participation process, conducted between 19 September and 7 November 2025, received 132 submissions, although only 24 were related to the specific amendments.
On the advice of legal counsel, no changes were required to the amendments published for public participation, except for the addition of a provision allowing impoundment based on contravention of Section 46 of the principal by-law relating to vehicles causing excessive noise.
City’s position on road safety enforcement
“The amended bylaw is good news for law-abiding citizens and anyone concerned about road safety,” said JP Smith, Mayco member for Safety and Security.
“Our Traffic Service cannot keep up with the avalanche of complaints about driving behaviour, not just in the public transport sector. On top of that, we have a culture where people often refuse to pay traffic fines or take responsibility for their actions. That is why we have revised the bylaw, yet again, to enable our staff to take tougher action against road users who appear incapable of showing any regard for the law, order and the right to life of those around them.”
Next steps
The amended bylaw will be submitted to the Mayoral Committee for approval before being submitted to a full sitting of Council. Once final approvals are in place, the amendments will be gazetted before implementation.
