Motorists could pay less for e-tolls
Motorists could be relieved of the e-toll burden they currently carry as the Gauteng treasury is prepared to pay off the debt incurred by the R20-billion Highway Improvement Project.
Gauteng finance MEC Barbara Creecy hinted that the provincial treasury would pay what was needed to keep the e-tolling system running; Times LIVE reported on Wednesday March 4. This comes after she tabled the provincial budget.
According to the publication, “Creecy noted that Premier David Makhura ‘s advisory panel on e-tolling had recommended a hybrid model for funding provincial roads maintenance and development.
“The new model would recognise the ‘user pays’ principle but would incorporate financial contributions by the national and provincial governments ‘to ease the financial burden on motorists’.”
Creecy was quoted as saying, “Once the intergovernmental team has completed its work, we will include a provincial contribution towards meeting the costs in the provincial adjustment appropriation later this year.”
During his State of the Province speech on February 23, Makhura asked the people of Gauteng to wait for Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa’s committee to complete its inquiry into e-tolling.
During the budget speech, Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene said, “Concerns regarding the socioeconomic impact of [e-tolling] tariffs have been heard and revised monthly ceilings will shortly be proposed.
“We will include a national contribution to meeting the associated cost in the adjustments appropriation later this year.
“Measures will also be taken to ease compliance and improve enforcement.
“But cost recovery from road-users will continue to be the principal financing mechanism.”
Makhura’s review panel on e-tolling found that the system was unaffordable, inequitable, cumbersome and placed a disproportionate burden on low-and-middle income households.
At its elective conference in October, the ANC in Gauteng rejected e-tolling.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng has camped outside the Gauteng Legislature demanding a referendum.
Speaking at the picketing, DA Provincial Chairperson said, “I keep getting bills for cars I don’t even have, I am not going to pay the e-tolls.”
See more tweets here
#DAGauteng #Etolls RT @J_chabalala: Moodey: The people of Gauteng have spoken, they said they dont want etolls
— Roodepoort Record / Northsider (@RecordNorthside) March 4, 2015
#DAetolls RT @J_chabalala: Campbell: Etolls are expensive and the poor are the once who are going to pay the most #etolls
— Belinda Pheto (@BelindaaPheto) March 4, 2015
#DAGauteng #Etolls RT @J_chabalala: Msimanga: I keep getting bills for cars I dont even have, I am not going to pay the etolls
— Roodepoort Record / Northsider (@RecordNorthside) March 4, 2015
