Cape Town to court over toll road

The city has applied to the court to declare whether there is a dispute with SA National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) over the introduction of the toll road.

Sanral intended starting construction of proposed toll roads on the N1 and N2 in February.

In a statement, it said construction of the 175km project would take around three years.

The project was aimed at increasing road capacity, improving safety and offering cost savings in terms of lower vehicle running costs and less time spent on the road, it said.

The city claims it declared a dispute with the department of transport, but Sanral has denied that a dispute exists.

'Potentially reckless expenditure'

In October, the city voiced disappointment at Sanral's refusal to acknowledge that there was a dispute over the proposed tolling of roads on the N1 and N2.

The city said a decision by Sanral to proceed with a construction schedule could result in potentially reckless expenditure, with the process now subject to legal review.

It said any expenditure Sanral undertook while the project was subject to legal review could result in potentially reckless and wasteful expenditure.

Sanral named Protea Parkways Consortium (PPC) as its preferred bidder for the N1-N2 Winelands highway toll project on Tuesday, despite the legal challenge by the city over the project.

It estimated the project would cost about R10 billion.

Source: SAPA via I-Net Bridge