City welcomes decision to halt toll projects

October 31, 2011

CA_tooooolllls0 STAFF REPORTER

THE City of Cape Town has welcomed the news that South African National Road Agency Limited’s (Sanral) tolling project to implement tolls on the N1 and N2 has been halted.

Sanral was planning to establish a R10 billion toll project that would include a 105km stretch on the N1 between the Old Oak Interchange and Sandhills, and a 70km section of the N2, from west of Swartklip to Bot River.

In July, the city declared an inter-governmental dispute with Sanral and more recently launched an application in the Cape High Court for an interdict to stop the project, which included two new tunnels.

Brett Herron, Mayoral Committee Member for Transport, Roads and Stormwater said the city welcomed the decision by the National Department of Transport to halt the projects until further investigation.

“Our application to the High Court is premised on our view that the process followed by Sanral, which eventually led to the N1 and N2 being declared toll roads, was fundamentally flawed and illegal.”

He said the city has been concerned about the impact the projects, which have not been fully investigated, would have on the economy and residents.

“The imposition of the toll roads would amount to unfair discrimination against poor and largely black communities who would be disproportionately affected,” said Herron.

If Sanral had its way the N1 and the N2 would be tolled from the R300, the N1 stretch would end just after Worcester, the N2 toll road at Bot River. The Huguenot Tunnel would be taken into the tolling plan.

“It appears from the statement issued by the National Minister of Transport that he shares our concerns with regards to the socio-economic impacts and that he is seeking to address one of our procedural concerns, (which is) lack of proper consultation with the city and the public.

“We welcome the department’s intervention.’’

Herron said other legal issues, which were not addressed by the minister, had also been raised.

Source: www.iol.co.za