Ivan Meyer - iol.co.za
Meyer said his party is pleased the City of Cape Town obtained a court date in order to interdict the N1/N2 Winelands Toll Highway project, which has apparently been planned by the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral).
Initial reports indicated Sanral was planning to implement the toll road project in April this year, but Vusi Mona, a spokesperson for Sanral, denied these claims, calling them “mischievous”.
Mona also denied the claims that Sanral was planning to implement a second phase of e-tolls on in Gauteng.
The court interdict means Sanral will not be permitted to commence the project until the City of Cape Town’s concerns have been resolved.
“As in Gauteng, we believe that each and every community who will be affected by the implementation of these roads have the right to be properly consulted,” he said.
Meyer added: “Toll roads will inevitably drive up the cost of transportation and constrain freedom of movement, opportunity and growth in this province. Until now, no socio-economic impact study had been done and no consultation had taken place.”
Meyer believes the consumers in the country are burdened by increasingly rising costs and taxes.
“The DA believes the implementation of toll roads in this province will significantly increase this burden, especially on the poor. We will fight it tooth and nail,” Meyer added.
Meyer believes that in order for proper consultation to take place, Sanral must make available information pertaining to the costs of tolling and upgrading the N1 and N2, including the relevant fees and the impact it will have on road users.
“Sanral has been withholding this information, which makes it untenable to allow the process to carry on unchallenged,” said Meyer.
