Millions wasted on number plates
The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport has wasted R19.2m in on the Intelligent Number Plate (INP) project, meant to secure license plates and prevent e-Tolling fraud.
This is according to Neil Campbell, DA Gauteng Roads and Transport spokesperson.
He says that the department incurred a wasteful expenditure of R812 000 on the INP project for the 2011/12 financial year on top of R18.4-m from previous years.
“The expenditure is labelled as fruitless and wasteful by the Auditor-General, because the project did not achieve desired project results,” he says.
The INP has been described as the “mess that was really the start of the e-Tolling debacle”.
“It also shows that the e-Toll system was envisioned as far back as 2007, before any public consultation for e-Tolling had taken place, indicating that tolling of the highways was considered a foregone conclusion before the public was even told about it.”
He adds that the failed INP reaffirms concerns about e-Tolling, in particular the usefulness and lack of public consultation, and underscores the need for a thorough investigation and full review of the entire e-Tolling project.
“The public deserves to know why e-Tolling is being pushed through so vehemently by South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) and government, despite massive public resistance and clear indications that it is simply not feasible or workable.”
