Reports that toll road plans in the city have been shelved are pure speculation, says the City of Cape Town, as it plans to take two cabinet ministers to court after dispute talks with the SA National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) failed.
City Press reported that plans for new toll roads around Cape Town, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng were set to be shelved, quoting a “well-placed senior government source”.
The city met Sanral in the intergovernmental dispute between the two, but issues raised by the city about the Winelands toll project were not resolved.
Mayoral committee member for transport, roads and stormwater Brett Herron said: “We’ve concluded the intergovernmental dispute and we were unable to resolve.
“Now we’re preparing a report for the mayor to have the decision of the two ministers (Transport Minister Sbu Ndebele and Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa) reviewed.”
Herron said with the interim interdict no longer an option, the city had to have the decisions by the two ministers set aside.
Late last year, Ndebele instructed Sanral to halt all toll road projects immediately. This included the R10 billion Winelands toll project.
Ndebele said consultative processes should be allowed to give concerned parties a chance to share their views.
The toll roads proposed for the N2 and N1 in Cape Town have been strongly criticised by the city council and the farming community. - Cape Times