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Cape Town – Money to ensure the opening of a second Huguenot Tunnel and to rebuild sections of the N1 and N2 would simply have to come from tolls imposed on motorists in the Western Cape, according to the SA National Road Agency (Sanral), reported Die Burger on Wednesday.
The cost of opening a second Huguenot Tunnel is inevitable, according to Sanral, but the government simply does not have money to fund it.
Vusi Mona, spokesperson of Sanral, said Sanral is committed to implementing the proposed N1/N2 Cape Winelands Highway Project.
He even went as far as to say the Huguenot Tunnel is a tragedy waiting to happen, due to the ventilation system needing to be upgraded.
The Winelands project envisages the introduction of traditional toll booths to some 180km of provincial roads, as well as upgrades to tunnels, bridges, pavements and interchanges.
DA adamant
At the same time Ivan Meyer, leader of the DA in the Western Cape, said there will be toll roads in the Western Cape as long as this party rules in the province.
Meyer said the N1 and N2 is necessary for people to get to work in Cape Town and to transport goods to and from the city.
He said toll roads would hit poor commuters the worst and increase the prices of basic goods like food. It would also make Cape Town less competitive and lead to job losses.
Last May, the Western Cape High Court granted the City of Cape Town an interim interdict preventing Sanral from implementing or advancing the toll project, including the conclusion of any contract or commencement of construction.
The interim relief was granted pending the court's review of Sanral's decision to implement the toll project. The review date has yet to be determined.
Sanral regional manager Kobus van der Walt said the Huguenot Tunnel and road needed to be upgraded, because it was not designed for the amount of heavy vehicles it was carrying.
Van der Walt said the purpose of toll roads are not to make money for Sanral, but are only raised to fund maintenance of a particular road.
No e-tolls
The proposed Winelands toll project will introduce traditional toll booths rather than e-tolling gantries, according to Sanral.
"It's a boom down situation where you go, you stop, you pay and you go," project engineer Tiago Massingue told Sapa.
He said the e-tolling system, as introduced in the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP), was only valid when roads carried a massive number of vehicles.
Massingue said highway portions around Cape Town carried between 52 000 and 160 000 vehicles a day.
Massingue said they had not negotiated a contract with a prospective concessionaire pending the "unfortunate" court action.
The cost of opening a second Huguenot Tunnel is inevitable, according to Sanral, but the government simply does not have money to fund it.
Vusi Mona, spokesperson of Sanral, said Sanral is committed to implementing the proposed N1/N2 Cape Winelands Highway Project.
He even went as far as to say the Huguenot Tunnel is a tragedy waiting to happen, due to the ventilation system needing to be upgraded.
The Winelands project envisages the introduction of traditional toll booths to some 180km of provincial roads, as well as upgrades to tunnels, bridges, pavements and interchanges.
DA adamant
At the same time Ivan Meyer, leader of the DA in the Western Cape, said there will be toll roads in the Western Cape as long as this party rules in the province.
Meyer said the N1 and N2 is necessary for people to get to work in Cape Town and to transport goods to and from the city.
He said toll roads would hit poor commuters the worst and increase the prices of basic goods like food. It would also make Cape Town less competitive and lead to job losses.
Last May, the Western Cape High Court granted the City of Cape Town an interim interdict preventing Sanral from implementing or advancing the toll project, including the conclusion of any contract or commencement of construction.
The interim relief was granted pending the court's review of Sanral's decision to implement the toll project. The review date has yet to be determined.
Sanral regional manager Kobus van der Walt said the Huguenot Tunnel and road needed to be upgraded, because it was not designed for the amount of heavy vehicles it was carrying.
Van der Walt said the purpose of toll roads are not to make money for Sanral, but are only raised to fund maintenance of a particular road.
No e-tolls
The proposed Winelands toll project will introduce traditional toll booths rather than e-tolling gantries, according to Sanral.
"It's a boom down situation where you go, you stop, you pay and you go," project engineer Tiago Massingue told Sapa.
He said the e-tolling system, as introduced in the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP), was only valid when roads carried a massive number of vehicles.
Massingue said highway portions around Cape Town carried between 52 000 and 160 000 vehicles a day.
Massingue said they had not negotiated a contract with a prospective concessionaire pending the "unfortunate" court action.
