Cape Town - Sanral has rejected claims that the proposed Winelands toll roads will have serious consequences for the agriculture sector, including possible job losses.
Sanral head Nazir Alli described the controversial toll as strategic and necessary to develop the economy.
“The net savings and benefits to farmers are positive even after payment of the toll tariffs,” Alli said, citing consultation processes on the matter.
He was responding to remarks by Beverley Schäfer, DA MPL and agriculture spokesperson. She said he had neglected to mention that most Cape Town commuters would not pay tolls, and that there were other roads that could be taken to avoid tolls.
Alli denied reports that commuters would pay three times more than Gauteng residents to use the Winelands N1 and N2 toll roads, and said the toll tariffs had not yet been set.
He said sections of the N1 and N2 were “in desperate need” of maintenance, and spoke of traffic congestion at peak hours. He linked the country’s electricity crisis to poor maintenance.
On Thursday Schäfer said it was ironic that Sanral claimed she was mistaken about the tolls’ impact on the agricultural sector, when this information had come from Sanral’s own reports.
She called the net saving a bluff, saying the agency had not consulted with rural communities.
“The City of Cape Town had to take Sanral to court so we could see the reports and determine the impact these toll roads will have on our people.”
Cape Times