End date for e-tolls decided – here’s when the gantries will be switched off

The days of paying e-tolls are numbered. Minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga recently announced in a government gazette that toll declarations would be withdrawn.

The much-debated e-toll system will come to an end on 11 April 2024.

This marks a significant milestone in the ongoing saga of Gauteng’s road infrastructure funding.

After years of public outcry and ongoing debates, Chikunga’s announcement comes as a relief to many Gauteng residents.

The e-toll system, which was introduced in 2013, has been a source of controversy and frustration. It required individuals traveling on specific highways in the province to pay toll fees, leading to widespread discontent and resistance. Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi argued that the toll system disproportionately burdened ordinary citizens, who already faced daily traffic congestion and related challenges.

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e-Toll switch off

Speaking on eNCA, Chikunga said the gazette would be ongoing for 14 days, beginning on Thursday.

“We are going to switch off the e-tolls for tolling purposes. Otherwise the gantries will remain because we can use them to fight crime as well.

Chikunga confirmed that because of the legal requirement of the gazette, the e-tolls will not be switched off on 31 March as previously mentioned by Lesufi.

“After the gazetting has happened, then of course that will mean that there will not be any gantries [that] are used for tolling purposes,” she said.

READ MORE: ‘It’s not that simple’: Gauteng govt seeking loan to pay R12 billion for e-toll scrapping – Lesufi

Government to delink e-tolls from gantries

This decision follows an agreement at a meeting held on Wednesday between Chikunga, Lesufi and Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana.

An agreement was reached to delink the Gauteng Freeway Improvement project (GFIP) from gantries on 11 April, effectively bringing urban e-tolling in the province to an end.

The ministry of transport said in a statement that “the ring roads that were part of the scheme will remain national roads”.

Furthermore, the parties agreed to enter into a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) to formalise alternative funding solutions for the GFIP debt repayment and deal with the backlog of maintenance and rehabilitation costs.

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“Parties also agreed that the MoA would also regulate the financial and funding contribution towards the Sanral liability in compliance with the policy objectives and institutional framework for road infrastructure management in South Africa.

“Parties were unanimous that terms needed to be set in black and white on the MoA for the Gauteng province to contribute to the backlog of maintenance and rehabilitation costs,” the statement read.

They also highlighted that the government is already planning to repurpose the e-toll infrastructure to improve mobility, road safety, and combat crime.

Reaffirming its commitment to the user-pay principle as a government policy, the government parties pledged to work together to explore funding solutions for road construction, maintenance, and upgrades.

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