The lack of parking for tour buses in Cape Town is a growing problem, especially for tour operators during peak season.

Collin Thaver, Managing Director of Southern Africa 360, said tour vehicle parking within the City of Cape Town had always been a problem.

“The guides/drivers always complain when they have to go up Table Mountain or to the Waterfront and conduct city tours. They find traffic and parking a hassle and it eats into a half-day tour.”

A source, who wishes to remain anonymous, told Tourism Update that even though officially registered as a bus operator, they get fined R800 (€50) when parked in bus-marked parking areas in the City of Cape Town, as these are reserved for either MyCiTi or the red Hop-On, Hop-Off buses.

Furthermore, these marked parkings around the City are frequently taken over by taxis, delivery vehicles, or private vehicles, with little to no consequence for their illegal parking.

“Certain tourist hot spots will have adequate parking, but not all of them. An example of this is on the beachfront road in Camps Bay, Wale Street entrance to the Company Gardens, Castle of Good Hope, Bo Kaap or the CBD,” said the source.

 “With the ever-growing abundance of hotels in Cape Town, safe and adequate bus parking is not always available. Out-of-town buses do not have a depot in Cape Town, so vehicles have to be parked outside or near the accommodation, often not in allocated bus parkings.

“Leaving any vehicle in the CBD at night often results in damage and theft from vehicles, irrespective of its size. Vehicles are left unprotected and I have been informed that the police and the Central City Improvement District (CCID) are not interested in helping resolve the issue,” said the source.

Toyota Quantums are specifically targeted, with rear view mirrors being pulled off and hubcaps stolen to be sold to the close-by taxi industry.

 “Vagrants and pickpockets have sworn at and threatened me on numerous occasions in the CBD, especially when protecting or warning my tourists,” said the source.

The City of Cape Town should consider a solution, as tourism continues to grow, the tour vehicles transporting these tourists need to be considered as well, he concluded.

Johan Groenewald, Manager at Mega Coach, said the City council had taken all their parking and given most of it to MyCiTi.

“Most parking for coaches was also changed to loading zones which has now become problematic for coach operators,” he said.

Furthermore, Groenewald commented that the Traffic Department had started chasing away their coaches, even if they had to load or offload clients.

He added that every hotel and place of interest should have two or more designated controlled parking bays.

Enver Duminy, CEO of Cape Town Tourism, responded: “We know that at peak holiday times traffic and parking may be a frustration for visitors and locals. We suggest that visitors wanting to enjoy all the experiences and attractions the city has to offer allow for additional travel time and ensure that they’ve booked where possible to avoid disappointment.”

Tourism Update contacted the City of Cape Town for comment, however at the time of publishing were unable to respond.