Untangling the gridlock on Hermanus Bypass

Writer: Elaine Davie.

Mention the bypass to the average Joe or Jane on the streets of Hermanus and you’re likely to see their eyes glaze over. Their response might well be something like: “For goodness sake (or stronger words to that effect), what is wrong with these people? I thought it had all gone away.” Well, it seems it hasn’t; it’s back to haunt us. So this is an attempt at Bypass 101 or Bypass for Dummies aimed at engaging Jane and Joe in the Struggle for Freedom from the Bypass.

In a nutshell, what we have here is a titanic wrestling match between the Provincial Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning (DEA&DP – sjoe!) and the environmentally aware residents of Hermanus, or, in broader strokes, authoritarianism versus democracy, with Overstrand Municipality (OM) apparently flip-flopping between the two, like a fish out of water.

Click below to read more. (The full article can be found on page 5)