Cape Town wins toll road battle

Thousands of motorists can breathe easy following the shifting of two toll plazas some distance from densely populated areas in the metro.

The SA National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) had initially planned plazas on the N2 close to Khayelitsha and the N1 near Brackenfell with low and high toll fees of R10 and R14 in both areas.

An agency spokesman has said the N1 plaza is to be moved north of the Engen Winelands garage in the Joostenberg area, while on the N2 the plaza would be close to the R310 near Eerste River.

Transport and Public Works MEC Robin Carlisle, said he had been vehemently opposed to the toll roads, particularly those that affected disadvantaged communities such as Mitchells Plain, Khayelitsha, Delft, Wallacedene and Kraaifontein.

Sanral had agreed not to have these plazas where initially planned and would offer "big" tariff discounts at plazas planned elsewhere in the metro, Carlisle said.

"I've opposed the toll roads very vigorously for some years. My primary concern has been that toll roads travel through two areas of very dense and poor populations. That has been my most serious objection. I'm happy to say Sanral looked at this and have shifted the toll plazas so that tolling will commence almost exclusively outside of those areas I've been concerned about," Carlisle said.

He said Sanral also agreed to ensure toll roads did not have a negative impact on local economies in non-metro areas and that, in places such as Grabouw and Elgin, road users would be able to enter and exit the N2 without passing through toll plazas.

"They (Sanral) have put the toll plazas at fair distances from each other. They've tried their best not to interfere with those local economies. They have undertaken to try and ensure very big discounts for people who use the plazas," Carlisle said.

Sanral would also take over the management of weighbridges on the N1 and N2, he said.

Carlisle said the provincial government would now reconsider its opposition to the toll roads.

"But we have to take that decision together with the other affected parties - municipalities through whose areas the toll roads run. Cabinet will be considering the toll roads in about a month's time. I can't anticipate what the decision will be, but I'd say we made considerable progress in achieving a more acceptable situation," he said.

Sanral regional manager Kobus Van der Walt confirmed that road users from areas such as Khayelitsha along the N2 and Kraaifontein along the N1 would no longer be affected.

Other N1 plazas still in the pipeline are at Huguenot Tunnel and De Doorns on the N1. On the N2, plazas will be situated at the bottom of Sir Lowry's Pass near Strand and at Bot River. Tariffs are expected to be R16 (low) and R23 (high).

Van der Walt said toll discounts would vary from 20 percent for frequent users (20-39 trips a month) to 70 percent for local users. Depending on the roads they used, local public transport operators would get discounts of up to 50 percent.

He also confirmed that Sanral would manage weighbridges, but said law enforcement officers would still be needed to deal with offenders.

"It has always been our policy to work with the province and the city. We want a good relationship with municipalities and to assist them where we can. Road users are our customers and we do what we can to protect them," Van der Walt said in response to Carlisle's comment that progress had been made.

He said it would take about eight months to appoint an operator after the September 20 deadline for tenders invited.

"Roads will have to be designed before the plazas are set up."

Minibus taxi groups said Sanral's decision to shift plazas away from the Khayelitsha and Kraaifontein areas was good news for the industry and its thousands of commuters.

"We and other motorists use those roads. For us, the money we were going to pay would probably have come from commuters.

"I want to salute the provincial government for having fought very hard," Western Cape Provincial Taxi Alliance spokesman Mvuyisi Mente said.

Golden Arrow spokesman John Dammert, who also welcomed the news, said bus company operated 4 671 trips a week on the routes. A toll of R52 per trip per bus would have cost the company an extra R13 681 876 a year. The company would have been unable to absorb such a cost and would probably have passed it on to commuters, he said.

SA National Taxi Council provincial chairman Vernon Billet said: "We are very happy. It (toll plazas) would have contributed to our operation costs."

Mayco member for transport Theresa Thompson said the change of plan was good news as the council was opposed to toll plazas in the metro, particularly in areas near disadvantaged communities.

Cape Times

Posted at 09:36AM Jul 28, 2010 by Editor in Cities and Towns  |  Comments[4]