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Cape Town - The Western Cape High Court ruling to set aside national road agency Sanral's decision to toll highways in the Western Cape is a victory for all Capetonians, City of Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille said on Wednesday.
“If they want to continue with the toll roads they will have to start the whole process again. This time it must include public consultation,” she said.
“The people were never consulted and no socio-economic impact study was done as to what (the project) will cost,” she told the media following the judgement.
Ratepayers’ money is used to fight for the rights of the people of Cape Town, she said.
“This was not politically motivated,” De Lille insisted. “(As the City, we have) gone out of our way to put all the evidence before the court to make an informed decision. We are very happy it’s over.”
De Lille extended an olive branch to Sanral, inviting the agency to “sit in one room and discuss the matter”.
It is understood Sanral made known its plans to toll the N1 and N2 Cape Winelands highways in 2008.
During proceedings, the City's lawyers said although they had delayed in raising the matter, they called for the court to weigh this against an "unlawfully built" toll project "that will affect all the people of the City over a period of thirty years".
