Don’t be a creep – help keep Cape Town moving this festive season

14 December 2025

The City will continue its ‘Don’t be a Creep’ campaign through the festive season when traffic volumes intensify. The campaign aims to combat the avoidable traffic congestion caused by drivers blocking intersections. Creeping leads to gridlock and violates traffic regulations. Since the launch of the ‘Don’t be a creep campaign’, the City has issued more than 140 fines in this respect. Read more below:

Motorists are often tempted to creep over the stop line when there is not enough time or space to clear the intersection before the light turns red. This often happens during peak periods, when impatience rises along with traffic volumes.

‘Our time off is precious – we want to spend it with loved ones and make the most of our beautiful city, not stuck in traffic. At this time of year, our roads are busier than ever, and creeping into intersections when there’s no space to get through, makes traffic grind to a halt. Everyone is stuck, and the orderly flow of traffic breaks down completely. And it’s not just an inconvenience, it’s a serious safety issue. In the worst cases, it can trap emergency vehicles, with potentially life-threatening consequences. That’s why we’re saying, let’s all do our part: don’t be a creep. Wait behind the stop line, keep intersections clear, and keep Cape Town moving for everyone,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility, Councillor Rob Quintas.

The ‘Don’t be a Creep’ campaign aims to educate drivers on the dangers of creeping, remind them to wait behind the intersection stop line until it is safe and their turn to go; and to keep intersections and crosswalks clear.

‘Law enforcement will be active at key CBD and major intersections across the city. We can’t allow preventable behaviour like creeping to exacerbate traffic congestion, especially through the busy holiday period,’ said Quintas.

The most recent operation took place on Thursday, 11 December at the Strand Street and Buitengracht intersection where 45 fines were issued to vehicles blocking this very busy intersection. It should also be noted that should the Traffic By-law Amendment carry early in 2026, vehicles can be impounded for this offence. 

Signage alerting motorists to refrain from blocking intersections has also been installed at various points along arterials where creeping is often observed.

The City also wants to remind road users to help us keep Cape Town moving by reporting faulty traffic signals:

• On the City of Cape Town App
• Call the customer call centre on 0860 103 089
• Send an email to contact.us@capetown.gov.za 
• Log a request on the City’s website and select ‘Transport, Traffic and Roads’
• Provide the street address and the area; and if possible, the identification number on the control box at the intersection

Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office