The proposed construction of the Winelands toll road would place an unnecessary financial burden on road users, said advocate Geoff Budlender in the Cape High Court on behalf of the City of Cape Town yesterday.
The city council is seeking a court order to force the SA National Roads Agency to hand over documents that influenced the board's decision to go ahead with the plan. The handover is part of an outstanding judicial review of the process.
Budlender said Sanral's board had not "applied its mind" in going ahead with the project. He said if the court did not make a ruling on the issue there would never be "proper consideration".
"The decision is unlawful," he said.
He said there was no word on how much the project would cost, or who would foot the bill. "There's no way a minister of transport can approve a toll road without knowing how much it costs," he said.
Sanral's lawyer, Chris Loxton, said the city's demand that it be informed of the cost of the project would not be met before work on the roads starts. The hearing continues today.
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