Cape Correspondent

CAPE TOWN Western Cape premier Marthinus van Schalkwyk said yesterday toll roads on the N1 and N2 were by no means a "fait accompli" and a number of "important steps" needed to be taken before the toll plazas could go ahead.

He said the provincial government would find it difficult to support and give the go-ahead for toll roads where there were no alternative routes or special concessions for people affected by them.

Van Schalkwyk's remarks come amid growing opposition from the Cape Town Chamber of Commerce and Industry and communities that will be affected by the proposed toll plazas.

Concerns have been raised after the approval of the environmental impact assessment by the national environmental affairs and tourism department.

Van Schalkwyk said steps still needing finalisation included requests from the South African National Roads Agency for comment from the province and the Cape Town city council.

Issues needing comment include bigger load factors on routes not designed to take increased traffic which would place an extra cost burden on the province.

Other "serious" questions needing answers were the financial effects toll roads would have on the local economies of Cape Town and smaller municipalities like Theewaterskloof, Drakenstein, Breë River valley, Overstrand, Helderberg, Overberg and the Boland.

Albert Schuitmaker, executive director of the chamber, said fruit and wine were among the chief exports from Western Cape and the toll roads would add to the cost of trucking products to the port.

He said the chamber believed that improvements were needed to the road system but the best way to finance them was through a levy on fuel. In this way every petrol station would become a toll plaza at no extra cost.

"Traffic experts say less than 50% of the present national fuel levy of about R1/l is spent on transport. If all the money raised by the fuel tax was spent on road transport there would be more than enough to maintain and improve the entire national, provincial and local road network," said Schuitmaker.

Oct 15 2003 07:27:02:000AM Chris van Gass Business Day 1st Edition