Government defends e-tolls amid resurge of opposition
JOBURG - DA members gathered outside the SA National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) offices in Pretoria on 5 November in protest of the Gauteng’s controversial e-tolling system.
The protest took place while the transport department, Sanral and National Treasury were making presentations in the Sanral offices to the panel set up by Premier David Makhura to review the user-pay system.
The group held placards that read, “Which ANC must we believe?”, and “Premier, Minister: Scrap e-tolls now.”
Speaking at the protest, DA MPL Solly Msimanga said the public had had enough of being “milked dry”. DA spokesperson Phumzile van Damme said the ANC was confused about the e-tolls.
The ANC has faced growing criticism after a disjointed position about the system emerged within the party’s leadership.
Following the Gauteng Provincial Government’s move to review e-tolling to determine the system’s socio-economic on Gauteng residents, the national government asserted its stance in support of the system.
Earlier during the presentations, Minister of Transport Dipuo Peters said it was unfair for the rest of the country to pay for infrastructure upgrades in Gauteng.
Peters was referring to alternative funding models for infrastructural upgrades and maintenance of the province’s freeways such as ring-fencing, and the fuel levy that had been suggested to replace e-tolling.
According to Peters, motorists could pay up to R3.65 more per litre for petrol should the fuel levy replace e-tolling. She denied claims that the public was not adequately consulted prior to the introduction of the system.
The decision to implement the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project with its chosen funding mechanism was taken after a thorough consultative process and its implementation was in compliance with appropriate legislation, she said.
However, the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa) said in a statement that it was prepared to take its fight against e-tolling to court to prove the system was unlawful.
“Outa is firmly convinced that if and when criminal charges are laid against any individual for the non-payment of e-tolls, we will be able to prove that the tolling declaration is unlawful,” said the alliance’s spokesperson John Clarke.
“It is quite disturbing that minister Peters is now trying to force submission to what Outa believes is an unlawful law. Open Road Tolling systems hinge entirely on voluntary public co-operation and any attempt by authorities to force co-operation of an unlawful system is going to be resisted.”
