Year after year, "park-and-ride facilities for the CBD" have appeared on Ward 9's list of priorities—yet meaningful progress remains elusive. This is not a complex or controversial issue: the municipality has already identified suitable land, and a working model is tested annually during Woordfees.

During Woordfees, minibus taxis operate on fixed routes, reliably and safely transporting people into town. This demonstrates that a park-and-ride system is feasible and effective. The only missing ingredient is the political will to make it permanent.

Stellenbosch University and the municipality are among our town's primary drivers of traffic congestion. As the largest employers and daily traffic generators, their responsibility to lead by example is undeniable. It is time for both institutions to actively adopt and champion the use of park-and-ride facilities in principle and through visible, sustained action.

Appropriate planning and coordination allow the municipality to implement a full-time park-and-ride system with secure, well-managed parking areas and regular shuttle services into the CBD. For such a system to be successful, meaningful incentives must be created to encourage its use. This includes limiting the availability of parking in the CBD and adjusting parking fees to reflect the broader cost of congestion to the town. If funding is the issue (as it should not since the IDP determines where funding should go), privatise it!

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Time for Leadership, Not Excuses

Mayor Fasser and his council adopted the IDP—an official, binding strategy that explicitly prioritises sustainable transport and identifies park-and-ride as a key intervention. At the IDP meeting on 9 April, multiple written submissions once again highlighted park-and-ride as one of the residents' most consistent and urgent priorities. There is now no reasonable justification for further delays.

Residents are not calling for another round of consultations or abstract policy discussions. They are calling for implementation. With firm leadership and decisive action, park-and-ride facilities could be up and running within a few months—bringing immediate relief to traffic congestion and setting Stellenbosch toward more sustainable urban mobility.

The people of Stellenbosch are watching, and we question the executive leadership, as was the case with his predecessor. Council should honour the IDP's commitments and make park-and-ride a reality—without delay, without excuses, and with the urgency our town deserves.

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