Huguenot Tunnel Toll Gate in Cape Town. Motorists will now pay for tolls at Umvoti and uThongati near Durban. Picture: Picture: Ashraf Hendricks
Durban - After nine months of not paying toll fees at the Umvoti and uThongati toll gates along the N2 in the north of Durban, Sanral says the payment holiday is over.
From February 1, 2023, all vehicles passing the toll gates will be compelled to pay, as was the case in the past.
However, Sanral said that while toll collection would resume on the N2 uThongati Mainline, North Ramps, N2 uMvoti Mainline and all ramps for all vehicles, toll fees on the N2 uThongati South Ramps would remain suspended until access along the M4 uThongati River Bridge had been restored.
The payment holiday was imposed after Durban was battered by floods in April last year. The KwaZulu-Natal government, led by Sihle Zikalala at the time, asked Sanral to be lenient and suspend payment of toll fees.
NEWS: After 9 months of not paying for toll fees at the Umvoti and Tongaat along the N2 near Durban, SANRAL says the payment holiday is over. From 1 February 2023, all vehicles passing these toll gates will have to pay. The payment holiday was effected after April floods. @IOL
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) January 12, 2023
The floods damaged the alternative routes of R102 (via Tongaat and Stanger) and M4 (via Umdloti). Road users were compelled to use uThongati and uMvoti toll plazas on the N2 to get around.
In a statement on Thursday announcing the resumption of toll fee collections, Sanral said repairs to flood-damaged infrastructure on the R102 and M4 near the N2 uThongati and uMvoti toll plazas had been completed.
In April last year, Sanral had suspended toll fees at the plazas in order to ease the economic burden on communities hard hit by loss of property and livelihoods as a result of the devastating floods.
The R102 and M4 were alternative routes to the toll plazas, but were so badly damaged that road users were compelled to use uThongati and uMvoti toll plazas on the N2 to get around.
“Our contractors have been working round the clock to repair damaged infrastructure and restore access to the R102 and M4.
“Both these roads are now fully open to traffic and access to the uThongathi River Bridge is imminent.
“We wish to thank road users for their patience during this time and wish them safe travels,” said Dumisani Nkabinde, Sanral’s eastern region manager.
sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za
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