The Strandfontein ward councillor joyfully told his subcouncil that Lukannon Drive, a road that has been severely sand-logged for years, has finally been transferred back to City of Cape Town’s Urban Mobility Directorate, opening the way for maintenance and resurfacing budgets to be put in place for the first time.

Elton Jansen, who is also the Subcouncil 17 chair, said that an agreement has been reached to transfer the coastal road from Recreation and Parks, who has consistently said that they do not have the budget to clear and maintain the road, which is classified as a service road.

He told the subcouncil meeting on 15 June that Deputy Mayor Eddie Andrews had provided written confirmation by email that Urban Mobility would take over responsibility for the road.

Background

Lukannon Drive stretches approximately 16km from Mnandi Beach in Rocklands to Strandfontein Pavilion. Large parts of the road have been reclaimed by the beach. Where not covered in sand, the road is riddled with potholes and erosion. In several sections, sand heaps are level with or higher than surrounding dunes.

The road provides access to lifesaving clubhouses, recreational fishing spots, and beaches including Blue Waters and Strandfontein. It is also a key route for police, law enforcement, other emergency services, and provides access to the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Strandfontein base.

Jansen told TygerBurger in February: “Lukannon Drive is a very important road for the local community. This road is frequently used by the police, law enforcement and other emergency services including the NSRI who uses the road to respond to emergencies on the coastline.”

At the time, Sandy Schuter, chair of the Strandfontein Community Police Forum, told TygerBurger: “We got stuck in the sand while patrolling that area.”

A decade of advocacy

The road falls within a nature reserve and had been classified as a service road by Urban Mobility, meaning responsibility for its maintenance was pushed to the biodiversity branch.

“The biodiversity branch does not have the expertise nor the budget to maintain roads,” Jansen said.

He has been fighting to have the road upgraded for more than 10 years, alongside the CPF and a ratepayers association. At the 15 June meeting, he described the departmental pushback he had faced: officials told him that no maintenance could be done because of the road’s service road classification.

He researched the issue himself and found service roads in Bergvliet and Constantia — including Firgrove Service Road in Bergvliet — that are maintained by Urban Mobility, and used these as examples to challenge the department’s position. He also noted that the “service road” classification does not exist under the National Road Traffic Act 93 of 1996.

Ward 43 councillor Daniel Christians corroborated the history. He recalled that on 2 June of a prior year, he and Jansen had visited Lukannon Drive together with Mayco member Rob Quintas. Christians said Quintas had told them face-to-face, looking them in the eye, that the road would “never” be closed — and contrasted this with beach roads in Strand and Hout Bay that the City does maintain despite being covered in sand.

A breakthrough

At last month’s meeting, Jansen announced that the Mayor had tasked Quintas and Andrews with resolving the matter, and that agreement had been reached. Urban Mobility has indicated that the road is part of its network but is not yet on the asset register, and it has supported initiating the asset transfer so that a budget can be provided.

Jansen requested that the motion remain open on the agenda until formal written confirmation of the asset transfer is received. Once that arrives, part B of the motion requires Urban Mobility to provide its rehabilitation and resurfacing plan. Jansen acknowledged that it is too late in the financial year for Urban Mobility to have budgeted for the work, but said the subcouncil would keep pursuing it.

ALSO READ: WATCH | Sand-clogged coastal road needs urgent rehabilitation