THE existing Tsitsikamma toll road, stretching about 28km from the Salt River to Elandsbos River, was declared a toll road in 1984. A further section of the N2 was proclaimed as a toll road during 2005.
This section of the Tsitsikamma toll road has now been extended, after a long period of intense roadworks in the area, to stretch from Salt River to Witelsbos to total a distance of approximately 53km - an overall increase of about 25km.
This new extended toll road will be opened on March 1, and in CXPRESS of February 10 a notice was placed by the South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) informing readers of the new toll fees that will apply when they arrive at the toll gates at the Tsitsikamma Toll Plaza.
To this extent, three public information sessions were held to update the communities of Nature's Valley and Covie on February 15, and in Storms River Village on the 16th. As regular users of this stretch of road, the local discount structures were of particular importance.
The Storms River Expressway Consortium (SREC), operators of the Tsitsikamma Toll Plazas, informed CXPRESS that from midnight on February 28 current toll fees ranging from R13 to R111, depending on the vehicle, will change to (for motorists outside the local user discount area):
• Class 1 - R33.
• Class 2 - R83.
• Class 3 - R198.
• Class 4 - R280.
The demarcated local user discount area consists of the Koukamma Local Municipality ward 5 (in the Eastern Cape Province) as well as a portion of land roughly between the Salt River and the Bloukrans River (as per a map published in the Government Gazette).
Discounted tariffs only apply to Class 1 vehicles, and will be as follows:
• R5 for areas along the R102 between Nature's Valley and the Bloukrans River, e.g. Nature's Valley and Covie;
• R10 for the rest of the demarcated local user discount area.
According to SREC, residents in areas next to the toll route would no longer be able to use their debit cards, but would have to apply for a local user's discount card, introduced by SANRAL to alleviate the effect of the increase.
The old debit card system that previous applied, will now cease to exist entirely by the end of February and anyone not living and working in the specified areas will have to pay the full rate.
Local motorists - in Kurland in the West, Nature's Valley, Storms River, Tsitsikamma, Thornham, Blue Lilies Bush, Bloukrans, Oakhurst, Sanddrift, and Kleinbos up to Koomenbos in the East - now have to apply for new discount cards, before March 1, to take advantage of the abovementioned discounts.
"The monthly end date for acceptance of new applications is the 16th day of every month, but we have extended the cut-off date for this month to February 19 at 1pm," says SREC.
The new discount card will be swiped at the toll gate and local motorists will then pay cash, at the discounted rate.
SREC said that after March 1, motorists who still had trips left on their current debit cards could contact the toll plaza to apply for a refund.
They warned that residents who held the current debit card would still have to apply for the new discount card.
For more info and application forms for local discount cards, contact the Tsitsikamma Toll Plaza on 044 531 6767.
