The South African National Roads Agency’s (Sanral) plan to toll roads in the Cape Winelands was dealt a heavy blow on Wednesday when a court halted it.
But Sanral downplayed the ruling that ordered it to restart the tolls process and review plans for the N1 and N2 highways.
It was a “technical” one‚ Sanral said and it would not affect its financial position.
OUTA applauds Western Cape toll road judgment
The Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (OUTA) on Wednesday congratulated the City of Cape Town for “taking a stand and defending the rights of citizens to enjoy toll free urban roads‚ which were essential for daily commuting and the development of the economy”.
The Cape Town High Court ruled that the tender awarded by the SA National Road Agency (Sanral) to toll the N1 and N2 in Cape Town be set aside. The tender for the Winelands Tolling Project had been awarded to the Protea Parkways Consortium.
“It was a ludicrous idea for Sanral to accept an unsolicited bid to toll the Western Cape’s freeways in the first place‚” said OUTA chairman Wayne Duvenage.
“To make matters worse‚ Sanral then failed to conduct a meaningful public participation process‚ just as they did in Gauteng‚ which has led to the collapse of the scheme‚ since its inception two years ago.”
The high costs of toll administration‚ the exorbitant construction costs and the guaranteed enrichment of a concessionaire consortium‚ could only be dubbed as an “outrageous scheme“.
“The judge certainly got it right in a judgment which sheds light on the incorrect and appalling procedures implemented by Sanral‚ who have far too often‚ ignored the very people expected to pay the unjust tolls linked to important public infrastructural development‚” said Duvenage.
To date‚ Sanral had been “extremely remiss in some of their research and extremely lax in their involvement of society and other structures of government‚ in a number of their projects‚ which have given rise to many court challenges and a need for costly corrective action”.
Furthermore‚ OUTA’s research indicated that there were many questions to be asked of Sanral‚ in regard to their unsolicited bids and past regulatory amendments to the Sanral Act‚ which had left the public poorer and a few concessionaires a lot richer.
“The authorities’ actions are effectively introducing a new questionable and unjustified tax on the people of this country‚” said Duvenage.
No tolls means no upgrades or new roads‚ says Sanral
The South African National Roads Agency’s (Sanral) plan to toll roads in the Cape Winelands was dealt a heavy blow on Wednesday when a court halted it.
But Sanral downplayed the ruling that ordered it to restart the tolls process and review plans for the N1 and N2 highways.
It was a “technical” one‚ Sanral said and it would not affect its financial position.
OUTA applauds Western Cape toll road judgment
The Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (OUTA) on Wednesday congratulated the City of Cape Town for “taking a stand and defending the rights of citizens to enjoy toll free urban roads‚ which were essential for daily commuting and the development of the economy”.
The Cape Town High Court ruled that the tender awarded by the SA National Road Agency (Sanral) to toll the N1 and N2 in Cape Town be set aside. The tender for the Winelands Tolling Project had been awarded to the Protea Parkways Consortium.
“It was a ludicrous idea for Sanral to accept an unsolicited bid to toll the Western Cape’s freeways in the first place‚” said OUTA chairman Wayne Duvenage.
“To make matters worse‚ Sanral then failed to conduct a meaningful public participation process‚ just as they did in Gauteng‚ which has led to the collapse of the scheme‚ since its inception two years ago.”
The high costs of toll administration‚ the exorbitant construction costs and the guaranteed enrichment of a concessionaire consortium‚ could only be dubbed as an “outrageous scheme“.
“The judge certainly got it right in a judgment which sheds light on the incorrect and appalling procedures implemented by Sanral‚ who have far too often‚ ignored the very people expected to pay the unjust tolls linked to important public infrastructural development‚” said Duvenage.
To date‚ Sanral had been “extremely remiss in some of their research and extremely lax in their involvement of society and other structures of government‚ in a number of their projects‚ which have given rise to many court challenges and a need for costly corrective action”.
Furthermore‚ OUTA’s research indicated that there were many questions to be asked of Sanral‚ in regard to their unsolicited bids and past regulatory amendments to the Sanral Act‚ which had left the public poorer and a few concessionaires a lot richer.
“The authorities’ actions are effectively introducing a new questionable and unjustified tax on the people of this country‚” said Duvenage.
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