e-tolls

Transport Minister, Dipuo Peters, has disclosed in Parliament that Gauteng municipalities owed the South African National Roads Agency a total of R2.4 million‚ triggering an outcry from politicians and glee from anti-tolling activists.

The Ekurhuleni Metro is the biggest offender with arrears of R1.838 million‚ followed by Tshwane (R351 644) Emfuleni Local Municipality (R127 685) and Lesedi Local Municipality (R111 000).

As the new e-tolls dispensation brokered by Deputy President, Cyril Ramaphosa, came into effect this month, members of the African National Congress (ANC) led alliance remain divided over the issue, with the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) reiterating its call for the system to be defied.

“There is still not unanimity in the alliance about the desirability of e-tolls, but the summit commends the review of e-tolls by government and acknowledges that this shows that our movement listens to and cares about the people.”

The South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) has scorned claims by Justice Project South Africa (JPSA) that a motorist was allegedly prevented from renewing his licence disk due to an outstanding e-toll debt.

In a press statement, SANRAL points out that, “Justice Project South Africa has become aware of the fact that members of the public are being refused licence disc renewals for their vehicles and that misinformation and often outrageous explanations as to why this is happening are prolific.”

The new e-toll tariffs kicked in on Thursday, 2 July 2015, but only about seven percent of freeway users will benefit from the new rates, according to opponents of the scheme.

Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa) chairperson, Wayne Duvenage, says while the cap had been halved, this reduction would not affect more than 93 percent of freeway users.

Simply painting a new coat over the same rusty broken vehicle and trying to sell it as a new car.

That’s how the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (OUTA) has described the new gazetted e-toll dispensation regulations.

In May, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, announced a raft of new e-toll dispensations, including that e-toll fees would be capped at 30 cents a kilometre and, controversially, that payment would be linked to vehicle licence renewals.

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) has rejected the latest revised e-toll tariffs.
 
COSATU says it will be going back to the streets to campaign against the system, which it believes is a form of privatisation of public goods.
 
COSATU acting general secretary, Bheki Ntsalintsali, says the revised tariffs are meant to deceive road users. "The question of e-tolls being made cheaper for now, we feel it would be made expensive later, this is a sugar-coated pill."
 

South Africa’s deputy president, Cyril Ramaphosa, has announced that the unpopular user-pays e-toll system is here to stay - but fees will be cut in half.

Ramaphosa, who announced that a monthly cap for light motor vehicles will be reduced from R450 to R225, says that e-toll fees will be linked to licence renewals – so that motorists cannot get their car discs unless they have paid their e-toll bills.

In announcing the revised e-tolls repayment method, Ramaphosa confirmed that the e-tolls are here to stay and that all the previously unpaid bills will have to be settled.

The Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (OUTA) says the only positive e-tolling outcome would be if government scraps the system and comes up with funding through the national fiscus, fuel levy and other mechanisms.

OUTA chairperson, Wayne Duvenage, states that the organisation expects that government will try and hold on to e-tolls in some form in the hybrid funding model.

“We expect Treasury will put some funding towards the problem and will be there partially to bail out SANRAL’s [the South African National Roads Agency's] situation,” he adds.

Gauteng premier, David Makhura, says the money collected from e-tolls is essential in upgrading Johannesburg’s transport infrastructure.

Makhura points out that, “The financing of that infrastructure is important,” adding that “Contributions by residents of our province is important, but we have always said that issues of affordability … [should be addressed so consumers] are not over burdened with debt.”

“That’s why we’ve been looking at the issue of e-tolls to reduce the burden and make it more affordable for people to be able to pay,” he adds.

The Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (OUTA) has again called on the minister of transport to establish an independent body to look into what it regards as the lack of a strong approach by the South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) to hold construction companies to account for alleged collusive practices during the construction of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP).

OUTA chairperson, Wayne Duvenage, points out that for the past 18 months OUTA has raised concern about the issue.