ANC Western Cape leader Marius Fransman has dismissed the DA's announcement that it will use the SA National Roads Agency's (Sanral) plans for tolls in the province as an issue in next year's general elections.
The DA, which controls the Western Cape, said it would use the issue of the planned toll roads on the N1 and N2 highways to show that the ANC was "anti-poor".
Fransman said: "This is exactly the policy of deception by the DA. [Transport and public works MEC Robin] Carlisle is clutching at straws."
DA Western Cape leader Ivan Meyer said the socio-economic impact of the tolls in the province would "harm the poor".
"I blame Marius Fransman for supporting this particular project, as it will hurt the poor the most," Meyer said.
He said the N1 and the N2 highways were crucial in the functioning of the regional economies in the Theewaterskloof, Drankenstein and Stellenbosch municipal areas.
"The dairy industry will be severely impacted. They've got a low profit margin of about 2%, and the N1 and the N2 are keen links between Cape Town and the agricultural hinterlands. The additional cost due to the toll tariffs will have a negative impact on the agricultural sector," Meyer said.
The Cape Town council will face off with Sanral next month when the Cape High Court hears an interdict brought by the city to interdict the road agency from going ahead with plans to implement the tolls.
One area the provincial government and the City of Cape Town found problematic was that Sanral would not reveal the cost of the tariffs.
And Carlisle said the toll roads would have little impact on the traffic congestion on both roads, but would have a "disastrous impact" on the ability to maintain roads.
"We must treat the election as a referendum on the toll roads.
"We must ensure that every voter understands what the toll roads mean to him" Carlisle said.
But Fransman fired back saying he was personally opposed to the toll roads although his party was yet to pronounce on the issue.
He said the DA's promise to make the tolling an election issue was "insane".
"It's completely stupid," Fransman said with an unprintable reference to Carlisle. "The ANC is very concerned about the way public transport [under his tenure] has been used in the province."
One of the issues, he said, was the decision by the provincial government and the City of Cape Town to divert the BRT from the Cape Flats to the more "affluent" West Coast suburbs of the city.
"They are subsidising the elite, instead of giving to the poor," Fransman said.
Cape Town tolls fuel war
ANC Western Cape leader Marius Fransman has dismissed the DA's announcement that it will use the SA National Roads Agency's (Sanral) plans for tolls in the province as an issue in next year's general elections.
The DA, which controls the Western Cape, said it would use the issue of the planned toll roads on the N1 and N2 highways to show that the ANC was "anti-poor".
Fransman said: "This is exactly the policy of deception by the DA. [Transport and public works MEC Robin] Carlisle is clutching at straws."
DA Western Cape leader Ivan Meyer said the socio-economic impact of the tolls in the province would "harm the poor".
"I blame Marius Fransman for supporting this particular project, as it will hurt the poor the most," Meyer said.
He said the N1 and the N2 highways were crucial in the functioning of the regional economies in the Theewaterskloof, Drankenstein and Stellenbosch municipal areas.
"The dairy industry will be severely impacted. They've got a low profit margin of about 2%, and the N1 and the N2 are keen links between Cape Town and the agricultural hinterlands. The additional cost due to the toll tariffs will have a negative impact on the agricultural sector," Meyer said.
The Cape Town council will face off with Sanral next month when the Cape High Court hears an interdict brought by the city to interdict the road agency from going ahead with plans to implement the tolls.
One area the provincial government and the City of Cape Town found problematic was that Sanral would not reveal the cost of the tariffs.
And Carlisle said the toll roads would have little impact on the traffic congestion on both roads, but would have a "disastrous impact" on the ability to maintain roads.
"We must treat the election as a referendum on the toll roads.
"We must ensure that every voter understands what the toll roads mean to him" Carlisle said.
But Fransman fired back saying he was personally opposed to the toll roads although his party was yet to pronounce on the issue.
He said the DA's promise to make the tolling an election issue was "insane".
"It's completely stupid," Fransman said with an unprintable reference to Carlisle. "The ANC is very concerned about the way public transport [under his tenure] has been used in the province."
One of the issues, he said, was the decision by the provincial government and the City of Cape Town to divert the BRT from the Cape Flats to the more "affluent" West Coast suburbs of the city.
"They are subsidising the elite, instead of giving to the poor," Fransman said.
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