Mbalula has no intentions of scrapping e-tolls, says DA

Transport Minister Fikile mbalula has “no intention of getting rid of e-tolls”, says the Democratic Alliance (DA) after the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) increased e-toll fees by 5%.

On Tuesday, the DA in Gauteng said that it was greatly “disappointment” by the increase of e-toll fees for motorists in the province.

“This is extremely disappointing as it means that for at least the last five years the people of Gauteng have been lied to about e-Tolls,” reads a statement from the party’s shadow MEC for Roads and Transport Fred Nel.

“Every year since 2018, the Minister of Transport, Premier David Makhura and MEC for Roads and Transport have been promising that e-tolls will be scrapped.

“This has come to naught and our residents continue to get e-toll bills which they cannot afford to pay.”

Nel said that the e-toll tarrifs were putting strain on the already burdened motorists whose budgets were already tight.

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“The DA maintains that e-tolls have no place in Gauteng and they should be scrapped immediately. It is high time that Mbalula makes a firm decision on e-tolls.”

He said that his party would continue to pressure the National and Provincial Government to scrap e-tolls and “we will use all mechanisms at our disposal in all the spheres of government to fight e-tolls”.

Last month, Sanral announced the annual adjustment in tarriffs in line with the consumer price index (CPI).

It said that the CPI percentage that was applied to determine the new tariffs is 5% and was published in the Government Gazette last month.

Vusi Mona, spokesperson, said that adjustments were equally important to ensure that the agency continued to deliver quality roads and services.

“The roads agency sympathises with the South African public, considering the current state of the economy,” said Mona.