These elements related to affordability, sustainability and administration problems with the system.
Gauteng Premier David Makhura released a report on January 15, complied by the e-tolls assessment panel he established last year, which assessed the socio-economic impact of e-tolls on Gauteng motorists.
The report suggests that those who cannot afford the e-tolls are forced to use the tolled highways, while the high income group manage to avoid these roads.
Makhura admitted that the e-tolling system placed a disproportionate burden on low and middle income households.
It was also revealed that motorists who are not paying their e-toll bills at this stage will not be prosecuted, as long as government is still in talks about the system and administrative glitches are not dealt with.
He, however, also said that, due to the e-toll system, road quality was better, travel time was reduced, fuel efficiency improved, vehicle operating costs reduced and logistics efficiency for business improved.
In general, some motorists have stopped paying their e-tolls bills since Makhura announced the system would be assessed.
Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa is leading talks with the Gauteng government to consider the recommendations made by the assessment panel dealing with e-tolls.
Spokesperson Vusi Mona said it must be kept in mind that Sanral has a massive debt to repay.
The e-tolls panel’s report contains recommendations ranging from how to deal with the funding, to the impact on the environment.
Wayne Duvenage, from Outa, commended the panel for the extent of the action taken to gain substantive input from all sectors of society and for compiling a comprehensive report that appears to cover a vast quantity of information.
“Outa and the many critics of the system feel vindicated in the comments made by the Premier, wherein he states that ‘in its current form, the e-toll system is unaffordable and inequitable and places a disproportionate burden on low and middle income households; it is also administratively too cumbersome,” he said.
“In this regard, we raise our concerns and disappointment that the e-toll system has not been rejected in its entirety by the panel.
“Instead, we sense there is a view to try to keep the irrational and inefficient system in place, even if partially so, to fund the bonds of the freeway upgrade.
“This proposal of a reduced or partial funding of the debt through the use of e-tolls merely exacerbates the problem, by pushing up the collection costs as a percentage of the revenue generated, making the plan more irrational.
“It also appears that the most efficient system available to them, that of the national fuel levy and which is currently part of government policy, appears to have been downplayed or overlooked as a meaningful part of the solution.
“We are fully aware that society must ultimately pay for the freeway upgrades, however, to propose other costly and more complicated options in the presence of a simple, efficient and highly effective alternative, makes no sense.
“The Gauteng Premier’s panel report and recommendations appear to be finding it difficult to legitimately reconcile the substantive rejection feedback provided to them with the will of strong political forces at play and this, in turn, may challenge the integrity of the e-toll panel process.
“We believe there is no real chance of changing the public’s perception and acceptance of e-tolling as proposed in these recommendations and, for this reason, we suggest that trying to be ‘half pregnant’ on the issue will not work.”
