Lower toll tariffs is not an answer – DA
Bedfordview resident, Dr Neil Campbell, Democratic Alliance's (DA) spokesperson on Road and Transport in Gauteng, says that the Transport Minister should not reconsider the e-tolling tariffs but rather scrub the project.
On Monday last week, there were media reports that the minister, Mr Ben Martins, was working to find ways to reduce e-toll tariffs.
Dr Campbell said that these reports were cold comfort to taxpayers.
“Further cuts to e-tolling tariffs are nothing more than a Trojan horse and do little to legitimise the controversial project marred by concerns of collusion and questions over cost-effectiveness and the real beneficiaries of e-tolling,” he said.
He added that there is no guarantee for how long this reduced price will hold.
“E-toll tariffs can always be raised once the system is up and running, at which point the people of Gauteng will have no choice but to accept them. Minister Martins and South African National Road Agency Limited (Sanral) should come clean on the entire e-tolling project and address the concerns of the people of Gauteng instead of trying to force e-tolls onto the province cloaked in short-lived tariff cuts,” Dr Campbell said.
Attempts to confirm the reports with Transport Department’s spokesperson, Mr Tiyani Rikgotso, were not successful as he did not respond to calls and SMSs sent to him on Tuesday and Wednesday last week.
