Cableway is up, up and away but Lion's Head remains off limits
Many lockdown birthdays have been muted celebrations, but to mark its reopening the Table Mountain cableway is offering free rides as compensation.
Locals who celebrated birthdays during lockdown can claim a free ride within two weeks of the September 1 reopening, Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company MD Wahida Parker said on Friday.
The cableway closed under level 5 lockdown in March and started operating again in June only as a safety service for hikers. When it reopens, the 65-person cars will be limited to 26 passengers, all of whom will have to wear masks.
The cableway will operate between 8am and 3pm throughout September, with cars sanitised after every trip and deep-cleaned once a day.
Parker said tickets could be bought online and used on a phone instead of being printed. “Not only is this beneficial for hygienic reasons, reducing contact points, but it also fits in with our long-term environmental strategy to go paperless,” she said.
Table Mountain National Park said on Friday it had decided to keep Lion's Head closed until further notice.
Difficulties in maintaining social distancing and the fact that hikers had to touch chains and ladders made the walk to the summit “high risk”, said a park statement.