E-bikes boost for Tourism Law Enforcement Unit

The bicycles will help broaden the patrol footprint of the unit, which is a joint initiative between the City and the Western Cape government.

The newly-established Tourism Law Enforcement Unit took delivery of seven electric bicycles today, Monday 23 December 2019.

The handover was done by the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith and Western Cape Premier, Alan Winde during a walkabout with the unit members.

The Tourism Law Enforcement Unit is a joint initiative between the Western Cape government and the City of Cape Town.

Staff have been operational since November, with deployment in key tourist areas like the cable car parking areas, the V and A Waterfront bridge, St Georges Mall and the Bo-Kaap.

The e-bicycles were procured by the City’s Law Enforcement Department, at a total cost of R175 000.

‘The bicycles will help the staff cover greater distances while on patrol, but more importantly, will help improve their response time to any incidents that may occur.

‘It is also a sign of our commitment to safeguarding tourists whose presence in Cape Town helps boost our economy, which in turn helps create jobs for locals. We say it often, but it bears repeating the value of tourism and events to this city cannot be understated and it is in everyone’s best interests to create memorable experiences for our visitors so that they can become ambassadors for our beautiful city,’ said Alderman Smith.

‘The Western Cape Safety Plan is being implemented in partnership with the City of Cape Town, and across all of our provincial departments to make our province safer for residents and visitors alike. Interventions like the Tourism Law Enforcement Unit act to protect tourism as a key economic driver and job creator. The plan will increase boots on the ground and implement violence prevention strategies with the ultimate goal of reducing the murder rate in our province,’ said Premier Winde.

Between 1 and 20 December 2019, the unit has assisted 112 tourists and issued 229 fines for various by-law and traffic transgressions.

The enforcement actions are complemented by high visibility patrols in the assigned areas, including hiking trails and parking areas; interacting with tourists and distributing pamphlets with safety tips.

Source: City Of Cape Town

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