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Cape Town - The South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) respects the Supreme Court of Appeal’s dismissal of its appeal over the right to toll sections of the N1 and N2 highways in the Cape Winelands.
Vusi Mona, Sanral's general manager of communications, told Fin24 on Thursday that Sanral will, however, study the judgment and reasons provided by the court of appeal.
"Thereafter we will decide on a reasonable course of action to address the impact of the delay and the congestion which will result from an increase in road users and urban developments along this economic urban corridor,” said Mona.
According to a statement by the City of Cape Town, the latest ruling "hopefully marks the end of the City’s four-and-a-half-year legal battle to shield its residents against the socio-economic impact of Sanral-sanctioned toll roads".
READ: Sanral appeals Winelands toll plan ruling
Last year the Western Cape High Court reviewed and set aside approvals that would enable Sanral to go ahead with tolling certain sections of the two highways in the Winelands. Sanral then decided to appeal this decision, which the City defended.
The City has maintained all along that in terms of the Sanral Act, only the Sanral board can declare a toll road - something it alleges was not done in the process.
"Following on from the Supreme Court of Appeal’s ruling this morning, I hope that Sanral will refrain from wasting taxpayer’s money on further legal action. The City’s estimated legal costs have already reached at least R20m," said Mayoral Committee Member: Transport for Cape Town, Councillor Brett Herron.
Tariffs three times higher than e-tolls
The City claims that local residents and visitors to the region would have paid toll tariffs that are nearly three times those of the e-toll tariffs charged on the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project toll roads.
"For every R2 paid in tolls, only R1 would have been to the benefit of the toll payer. The proposed toll scheme would involve 243% of the costs of a public non-toll scheme, with the largest component of the additional cost to be the preferred bidder’s pre-tax profits," said Herron.
"Traffic would have been diverted away from the freeways, in particular around the toll plazas – upgrading alternative routes would have cost the City between R258m and R516m alone, excluding the required new major interchanges and the widening of bridges."
Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille added that, going forward, she once again calls on Sanral "to rather work with the City to find a solution" for the infrastructural upgrades that may be required for the N1 and N2 freeways.
ALSO READ: Sanral unfazed by foreign firm collecting e-toll fees
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