The announcement regarding e-tolling, made by Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, has left the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa) and the Automobile Association (AA) unsettled.
These organisations have released similar concerns about the new dispensation regarding e-tolls.
Outa expressed disappointment at government for deciding to continue the e-tolling scheme as the major funding mechanism to settle the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP) bonds.
“The expected lowering of tariffs by government has not resulted in such a manner.
“They have merely removed the punitive tariff, which no one was paying anyway. If the public were to pay in the past, they would have purchased an e-tag for the same rate of 30c per kilometre,” said Outa chairperson Mr Wayne Duvenage.
The authorities, according to Outa, have failed to address issues which include the expensive contracts with ETC (Kapsch TrafficCom) that remain unchanged.
The lower tariffs is also said to increase the costs of collection of revenue generated to an unacceptable level.
“For as long as the collection costs related to the contracts remain in place, society cannot be expected to support the scheme,” said Mr Duvenage.
The AA, on the other hand, stated that the opportunity was ideal for the government to intervene and scrap this system but it is an opportunity the government did not use to its potential.
“The main concern is whether or not the e-toll proposal will make room for more unlicensed vehicles as drivers do not renew their licences and cannot afford to pay outstanding e-toll accounts, or refuse to do so in protest,” an AA statement read.
The association said whatever the reduced toll fee is, or whether or not it is subsidised by government, it is still a needlessly inflated price that places the burden of costs on motorists and the South African taxpayer.
“We want to make it clear that the funding of roads is not the issue. Roads must be built and maintained and money is needed for this purpose. The real issue, we believe, is the mechanism chosen to fund the GFIP, which hikes the costs unnecessarily,” said the AA.
