Nivashni Nair

ETHIKWINI has come out with fists swinging, charging that Durban motorists and other KwaZulu-Natal road users will not be turned into cash cows for the SA National Roads Agency because of a tollgate proposed for the new King Shaka Airport.

Durban’s city manager, Mike Sutcliffe, said the city is digging in its heels to oppose Sanral’s proposed tolling of motorists leaving the airport on the N2 towards Durban, at a new toll plaza on the south-bound on-ramp of the interchange.

Sanral chief executive Nazir Alli said the tolling was based on the “user pays” principle and a toll road was funded by those motorists choosing to use the road — similar to paying for parking at a shopping mall.

But motorists leaving the airport would have already dug into their pockets to pay a pricey parking fee and then would have to dig deeper to pay toll fees, which could be between R6 and R9.

Sanral spokeswoman Wendy Watson said increased traffic after the King Shaka Airport becomes fully operational in 2010 would result in more lanes having to be built and more frequent road maintenance, and this work would be funded by the toll fees.

But Sutcliffe believes that Sanral is trying to milk Durban commuters to maximise its revenue to fund other projects.

“We totally oppose the proposed toll plaza for Isipingo,” said Sutcliffe.

“It is a way of getting Durban commuters to pay for a project in the Eastern Cape. The people of this province and its visitors are not cash cows,” he told The Times.

Sutcliffe said that, though Durban might not be the only city in the world to have a toll plaza outside its airport, KwaZulu- Natal was already the most tolled province in the country and it was time for Sanral to stop such “exploitation”.

“It’s a matter of principle. If there is a logical reason for the toll roads, we are willing to sit down and listen.

“But, right now, we feel that Sanral is merely imposing all these tolls on commuters, exploiting them,” Sutcliffe said.

He said the municipality had raised its objections during the initial Environmental Impact Assessment and that it had the backing of provincial leaders.

“Durban and the province is saying no. Enough is enough,” he said.

KwaZulu-Natal transport MEC Bheki Cele is out of the country and could not be reached for comment.

Posted on November 14th, 2008
Filed under: Newspaper and Media