Toll road looms
2008-04-17
IN what could be considered a blow for the Paarl area, the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) has announced its intention to toll the N1 between De Doorns and Cape Town and the N2 between Bot River and Cape Town. The project will be known as the N1-N2 Winelands Toll Highway and includes a section to be newly constructed through Somerset West. The section of the N1 to be tolled is R105,8 km in length and includes the Huguenot Tunnel which currently requires a toll of R22 per car. Vehicles using the Du Toit’s Kloof Pass to bypass the Huguenot toll plaza, will pay a lower toll at the ramp when rejoining the highway on the Worcester side of the tunnel. Paarlites who commute to Cape Town on a daily basis by car, as well as Capetonians who commute to work in the Paarl area, will be hard hit by the project, which could considerably raise their travelling costs. The toll to Cape Town could be about R12 one way, but there will be a 40% discount for frequent travellers (40 trips per month). The agricultural industry has in the past strenuously objected to the proposed toll road, as it will markedly increase the cost of transporting export fruit to the Cape Town harbour. Fears have also been expressed that motorists will use regional roads to avoid the highways, causing deterioration of these roads. On the N1, a new toll plaza is to be erected in the vicinity of the N1 Engen service station near Joostenbergvlakte, and another one between De Doorns and Worcester (to be known as Hexpoort). On the N2, toll plazas will be constructed near Faure, Sir Lowrey’s Pass and Bot River (a total of 70,3 km). According to the notice of intent to toll, Sanral is considering an “open road” toll system whereby remote sensing devices will be positioned on gantries across the toll highway, allowing the recording of toll charges for regular commuters, without vehicles being required to stop at toll plazas. This will contribute to a better traffic flow. In the past, Sanral indicated that tolling was being considered to compensate for the cost of maintenance of the highways. Sanral receives its funding from central government via the fuel levy, and does not share in the provincial income from vehicle licences. The project which is planned to kick off in 2010, will also allow for the completion of the second Huguenot tunnel, widening of the N1 at Bellville, widening of the R300, improvement of Sir Lowrey’s Pass with a tunnel, as well as fly-overs where there are currently robots in Worcester and Somerset West. Vehicles travelling on the N1 between for example Paarl and Klapmuts or Stellenbosch will not need to pay toll. All objections must reach Sanral by 30 April. Send comments to the Regional Manager Western Region, SA National Roads Agency Limited, PO Box 2348, Bellville 7535, fax 021-945-1878 or email winelands @nra.co.za. - Anne Kruger
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