Minister will talk about toll roads

Outrage over highway clobbering prompts offer of consultation

The government has put the brakes on toll road projects worth billions to consider a flood of "serious objections" ranging from racial discrimination to needless cost.

Outrage from a broad range of critics - Cosatu, tourism officials and ANC leaders - and a high court challenge have greeted Gauteng's R22-billion toll network, a pay highway through the Eastern Cape, and a R10-billion plan to toll two existing freeways near Cape Town.

Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele told the Sunday Times this week that the process in all three cases would be thrown open to consultation and alternative proposals.

"The horse has bolted on the [tolls between Johannesburg and Pretoria] but these other phases and projects are not done deals yet. We need the infrastructure but I'm not here to ram a toll road down the throat of anyone," he said.

The Gauteng tolls will become operational in February next year.

Added Ndebele: "The objections were serious and let's take them seriously. Let's calmly sit down and decide how to pay for these needed improvements, without pointing fingers."

About R29-billion was allocated from the state's coffers for road maintenance last year - with R22-billion of that coming from fuel levies.

But the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) said at least R149-billion was needed to maintain the network, excluding national roads.

Although public transport users will enjoy subsidies, critics say urban toll tariffs will harm commuters in Gauteng and Cape Town - and increase food prices.

The DA has also complained that most of the profits in the Gauteng tolls will likely end up overseas, as a foreign company controls the consortium operating the R6.2-billion "e-tolling" collection system.

Sanral CEO Nazir Alli said the contractors "are taking the risk in terms of traffic" and that "there are no guarantees for these guys".

He said "over 99%" of those employed on the projects would be South African.

The city of Cape Town is seeking a court order to halt the tolling of 175km of the N1 and N2, claiming it is not needed and would cripple several poor communities adjacent to the toll zones.

Ndebele denied being influenced by the court proceeding. He said: "Roads are a catalyst to development but if you come with a road that makes the poor poorer, then you've got a problem."

DA transport spokesman Manny de Freitas said: "I'll believe what the minister is now saying when I see it happen. We've seen with these projects that ministers say the right things and the plans go ahead anyway."

Automobile Association spokesman Gary Ronald called for all toll projects to be "scrapped immediately" due to increased fuel prices, the effect of the recession on motorists' cash flow and "the extreme cost of collecting the money".

He said road upgrades should be funded by a higher national fuel levy. Ndebele's deputy, Jeremy Cronin, has openly questioned the projects, saying costly urban tolls should not be a priority.

The Gauteng legislature will hold hearings on a flood of petitions against tolled highways next month.

Ndebele said the first phase of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project had resulted in "a good and necessary road" but said "it's quite expensive and the experience of the Ben Schoeman [Highway] has not been a pleasant one". He added: "Civil society and levels of government were set against it."

The equally controversial Wild Coast toll project, connecting Durban with East London via Mthatha, has been approved, but the road has not yet been declared a toll road, while the proposed N2 Knysna toll highway also has yet to be approved.

Toll roads currently account for roughly a fifth of South Africa's 16000km national road network.