Cape Town - Capetonians should prepare themselves for potholes and bad roads.
The South AfricaN National Roads Agency Limited has warned the Western Cape and the City of Cape Town they will not get any road upgrades for the next 20 years unless it is allowed to toll the N1 and N2 highways.
Sanral made the threat after a Western Cape High Court ruling on Wednesday set aside the proposed N1/N2 Winelands Toll Highway Project.
Sanral spokesman Vusi Mona was quoted by The Times as saying: “If Sanral is not allowed to proceed with the project now, the province, the city and their constituents will not have upgrades for at least the next 20 years, if at all.
“It will also prevent the direct and indirect creation of some 5000 jobs for the first three years of the project and about 500 jobs a year in the 30-year concession period,” he added.
‘DISPROPORTIONATE FINANCIAL HARM’
The City argued in court that Sanral CEO Nazir Alli took a unilateral decision to toll the highways.
It said that the tolls would cause “disproportionate financial harm” and hardship for poor communities along the highways and that the authorisation given by the ministers of transport and environment were unlawful.
Judges Ashley Binns-Ward and Nolwazi Boqwana agreed, and set the approvals aside.
They found no evidence that the Sanral board had considered the public’s input obtained during the public consultation process.
Mona said the agency was disappointed with the ruling, which meant “the realisation of the project will either be delayed or may never happen”.
According to the City, toll roads would have cost the public nearly R50 billion over the next 30 years.
Daily Voice