More toll roads on the cards for SA

By Ilhaam Hoosain
31 March 2008

The South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) has announced its intention to declare portions of some of the country's major national roads as continuous toll roads. According to a daily newspaper the construction of the plazas should start in two years if all goes as planned.

A revised environmental assessment giving the go-ahead for the toll roads has been signed by the Minister of Environment and Tourism, Marthinus van Schalkwyk.

The N1 and N2 will each have three toll plazas if Sanral has its way. The first toll plaza on the N2 will be close to the R300 intersection, the second one before Firgrove at Somerset West and the third near Bot River.

According to the newspaper the actual tolls have not yet been decided, but it currently costs R21 for a light motor vehicle to use the Huguenot Tunnel. The heaviest vehicles pay R132 one way.

On Friday the DA came out heavily against toll roads, saying the poorest of the poor would be the most affected. DA spokesperson Robin Carlisle says that these toll roads will hit the poor coming from areas such as Blue Downs, Delft, Mitchell's Plain and Khayelitsha every working day.

The provincial government and the six municipalities affected by the toll roads have 60 days to comment.