The City of Cape Town is introducing new rules for electric mobility devices on the Sea Point Promenade, prioritising pedestrian safety while allowing responsible e-scooter and e-bike use.
The measures will be rolled out through a new Sea Point Promenade Management Protocol, supported by clearer signage, stronger oversight of rental operators, improved monitoring and coordinated enforcement. The protocol and new signage are expected to be in place by the end of August.
The Sea Point Promenade is one of Cape Town’s busiest public recreational spaces, attracting walkers, runners, cyclists, families, older persons, children and people with disabilities. The City said the growing number of electric mobility devices has led to increased concerns about excessive speeds, unsafe rider behaviour and conflicts with pedestrians.
Councillor Francine Higham, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, said the primary objective is to ensure the Promenade remains safe and accessible for everyone.
“The Sea Point Promenade is one of Cape Town’s most loved public spaces, but it has also become one of our busiest. As the number of electric mobility devices has grown, so have safety concerns. Our responsibility is to ensure that everyone – particularly children, older persons and people with disabilities – can enjoy the Promenade safely,” said Higham.
The Promenade is intended primarily as a pedestrian recreational space. While different users are accommodated, the City said pedestrians must always have priority, particularly in busy areas where larger and faster electric devices increase the risk of collisions.
The management protocol will introduce a maximum speed limit of 8 km/h in shared pedestrian areas, require riders to give pedestrians right-of-way at all times, prohibit racing, weaving through crowds and reckless riding, ban riding on grassed areas, require riders to dismount at designated congestion points and limit devices to one rider each.
Additional measures include age and supervision requirements, identification for commercial rental devices, restrictions on oversized and high-powered devices, and operating-hour or event-specific controls. The City is also finalising technical standards for rental devices, including limits on weight, passenger capacity and maximum speed.
By September, the Recreation and Parks Department and Public Trading Department will establish a formal compliance process for rental operators. This will include verified speed controls, operator and device identification, responsible rental practices, incident reporting, public liability requirements and rules governing the storage and collection of devices on public land.
Operators currently using the Promenade without formal permission will be required to comply within a defined period or face enforcement action. The City is also considering limiting the number and location of rental operators to reduce congestion along the Promenade.
An enforcement plan involving Parks Rangers, Law Enforcement, Public Trading and Urban Mobility will outline the use of warnings, compliance notices, fines and, where authorised, the impoundment of non-compliant devices.
Higham said the City would continue working with residents, operators and enforcement agencies to ensure the Sea Point Promenade remains a safe, welcoming and accessible public space for people of all ages.
