Siyavuya Mzantsi
HUNDREDS of motorcyclists have marched to the provincial legislature and handed over a memorandum opposing plans to introduce e-tolls in the province.
Transport and Public Works MEC Donald Grant received the memo yesterday from about 600 members of Bikers Against Toll Roads and other biker groups. He said he would respond in 10 days.
The bikers said tolling established routes meant the public would be paying double for the roads.
“Our belief is that tolls are or will be used as another vehicle cash cow to support cronyism, irrelevant and unnecessary profiteering.
“Tollgates on the Western Cape national roads will cause severe congestion, especially in the peak hours, as all vehicles will have to stop, pay.”
Bikers Against Toll Roads spokesman Richard Green said: “We do not understand how the South African National Roads Agency Limited can state that these ‘Stop, pay and go’ systems would alleviate traffic congestion during peak hours.
“It will more likely cause an increase in the traffic congestion and a backlog as vehicles will have to stop for a certain time to be able to pay the toll fees.”
They said the province’s economy was not as strong as Gauteng’s and the proposed toll fees would place an extra burden on an overtaxed public in a volatile economic climate.
Grant’s spokesman, Siphesihle Dube, said the MEC had not had a chance to study the long memorandum.
“He has welcomed the organisations’ call to members to support the City of Cape Town and the province in opposing the N1 and the N2 Winelands tolls, as we have been since the proposals were first mooted by Sanral, an agency of the national Department of Transport.”