Emergency Evacuation Plan : Koeberg Nuclear Power Station

Towards the end of March 2006, the National Nuclear Regulator instructed Cape Town city to demonstrate by means of a traffic model or traffic management plan that the existing and future population within a 16km radius of Koeberg Nuclear Power Station can be evacuated within 16 hours of notification of a nuclear accident.

The newly (8th april 2006) completed evacuation plan includes new roads and improved public transport, and the city must demonstrate that it can evacuate residents within a 16km radius of the Koeberg nuclear power station (which includes Parklands, the fastest growing suburb in South Africa) within a period of 16 hours in case of a nuclear accident (this is a requirement of the National Nuclear Regulator).

The new plan will go through a public participation process before it will be considered by the council at the end of May. In the meantime, further development in the area of the nuclear power station has been stopped. Only once the city has a plan and approved by National Nuclear Regulator will Cape Town city be allowed to approve further developments within the 16km evacuation zone.

A major problem Cape Town city has to deal with is inadequate road infrastructure. The Parklands/Table View area has experienced massive growth, resulting in major traffic flow problems. Work has begun on a new road link from the Parklands/Sunningdale area linking into the N7, and is expected to be completed within three years.