Sanral defends e-tolling
JOBURG - The South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) has spoken out about the e-toll review process, defending the implementation of the controversial user-pay system to fund the construction and maintenance of Gauteng freeways.
Sanral dismissed alternative funding methods such as the fuel levy favoured by opposition groups, claiming that it would not have given the roads agency the flexibility to favour poorer communities.
“Among the reasons why this specific method of funding was chosen is that it provides options that favour poorer communities through exemptions, special discounts and flexible tariffs,” Sanral spokesperson Vusi Mona said.
Mona noted that open-road tolling was only introduced after comprehensive studies by economists revealed the cumulative negative impact of traffic congestion on economic activity.
A clear case was made to improve the quality of the highway network in the province, and to address the high impact of congestion, wasted fuel, travel times and productivity, he said.
“The fact that we have exempted public transport – including taxis that are registered – from all toll fees, demonstrates our concerns about the rising cost of living among the poor, who predominantly use public transport,” he added.
The roads agency was not participating in the e-toll review process despite being asked to comment on the original socio-economic objectives of e-tolls by the advisory panel.
“The roads agency is of the opinion that its participation in the review process would be inappropriate as the matter had been decided in relevant structures – the Cabinet approved the matter in 2007,” Mona explained.
According to the roads agency, all the documents on the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project were publicly available should the Gauteng provincial panel reviewing the e-tolls wish to peruse them.
“The documents on the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project answer questions as to how it was conceived, the role played by the Gauteng provincial government, why it was decided to go the e-toll route, the advantages of the upgrading of these highways, and the pro-active steps to favour the poorer communities,” Mona said.
The documents had been in the public domain for years, he added.
Despite the strong opposition to the controversial system, the roads agency had no intention of halting e-tolling.
“The tolls are on a national road which is a national competency,” Mona said.
“Until the agency is advised otherwise by national government, it will carry on implementing what is government policy.”
