E-tolling still proving to be contentious

These comments followed after his meeting with small business owners in Tembisa on Monday last week.

The businessmen told Mr Maimane the e-tolls would force them to raise their prices, or close down their businesses.

“These owners get their deliveries via the R21, where e-tolls are to be implemented. As a result, they will be forced to increase the price of their goods due to the higher cost of deliveries, or lose money and possibly even their businesses. This will have an impact on the community around them, which is already battling with high levels of unemployment and poverty. The inevitable price increases will make it harder for families to buy food,” said Mr Maimane.

He said the concerns raised by the business people were similar to those concerns raised by other business owners throughout the province.

“This is the same concern across Gauteng. People do not want e-tolls because it will make them poorer and increase poverty in communities across the province,” he said.

Mr Maimane said the South African National Road Agency Limited (Sanral) continued with its e-tolls project, knowing it would receive resistance from motorists.

He also claims Sanral’s research, and that of Electronic Toll Collection (ETC), both concluded that one of the critical success factors of the e-tolls project would include high levels of public compliance.

“Sanral knew from as early as 2009 that they would face widespread opposition against e-tolling in Gauteng,” he said.

The NEWS requested comment from Sanral spokesperson Mr Vusi Mona. At the time of going to print no comment had been received.