More toll roads could be on the cards for Lim
People living in Limpopo fear that more toll gates will be erected in the already heavily burdened province after the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) takes over more than 1 600kms of national roads in April.
POLOKWANE – People living in Limpopo fear that more toll gates will be erected in the already heavily burdened province after the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) takes over more than 1 600kms of national roads in April.
According to a press release issued by DA shadow minister of transport, Ian Ollis recently, Sanral CEO, Nazir Alli said the agency was currently managing around 20 000kms of national roads. Sanral was already strapped for cash, and their request for funding from national treasury was refused, he said, leaving the agency to generate its own funding.
With the provincial roads department also not about to give Sanral any money, money to ensure the maintenance of the additional road could fall on Limpopo road users’ shoulders.
Alli indicated in Sanral’s 2012/13 strategic plan that Sanral was considering building new toll roads in Limpopo. These would include the N1 ring road to Musina as well as the N1 Botlokwa interchange. Pedestrian facilities were also mentioned in the plan.
Ollis said in the press release that he would be writing to Alli to ascertain how he intended to raise funding for the additional road networks, as well as whether any tolling in Limpopo was under consideration in order to fund the additional maintenance, and how Sanral planned to finance the management of these new roads, he said. Ollis also planned to submit parliamentary questions to transport minister Dipuo Peters in this regard.
