KwaDukuza mayor rejects toll fee reinstatement at Umvoti
During today's council meeting, mayor Lindile Nhaca said she had written to SANRAL requesting that consideration be given toward waiving toll fees at Umvoti until the R102 and R103 had been fully repaired.
While the Tongaat Toll remains outside the jurisdiction of KwaDukuza Municipality, mayor Lindile Nhaca has rejected the reinstatement of toll fees at Umvoti, saying that its reinstatement could risk compromising the integrity of alternative routes.
During today’s council meeting it was outlined that the mayor had taken steps to dislodge The South African National Roads Agency’s (SANRAL) decision to reinstate toll fees, a move by SANRAL which Nhaca dubbed hasty.
She said the reintroduction of toll fees could put unnecessary pressure on provincial roads, yet to be repaired by the Department of Transport.
Toll fees will be reinstated come February 1.
Mayor Nhaca has written to SANRAL, outlining challenges which could lead to the possible disruption of the economy.
“While we appreciate the significant progress achieved on the M4 in easing the congestion that was experienced at the aftermath of the floods, we equally wish to extend our heartfelt concern on your hasty consideration to reinstate the payment of toll fees at Umvoti Toll Plaza in the knowledge that the alternative route (R102) linking KwaDukuza and eThekwini has not yet been fully restored,” she said.
The M4 at uThongathi Bridge is yet to be repaired however, municipal spokesperson Sipho Mkhize said they could not challenge toll fees at the Tongaat Toll owing to this falling outside of KwaDukuza’s jurisdiction.
Nhaca pinpointed in her letter to SANRAL that the transport department had yet to repair the R102 as an alternative route, and that consideration be given to waiving toll fees at Umvoti until such a time that repairs on the R102 and R103 be completed.
She said that the waiving of toll fees would be in the interest of promoting business and service delivery.
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