E-tolls decision deadline extended
The extension will allow the task team, led by the minister, to explore all options including possibly scrapping the scheme.
Despite promises of a solution to e-tolls by end of August, the deadline for a decision on the future of the scheme has been extended by another two weeks.
“We remain firmly committed to finalising the process within the next two weeks,” transport minister Fikile Mbalula said in a statement.
Mbalula was leading a task team instructed to make a final recommendation on the future of e-tolls to president Cyril Ramaphosa.
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Ramaphosa had given the team the 31 August deadline.
“The two-week extension is to allow further consultation with businesses, civil society and labour organisations to take their views into account.”
Meanwhile, the organisation undoing tax abuse (Outa) has come out against the suggestion of reducing toll fees saying it would only make things worse.
“Reducing e-toll tariffs in the hope that compliance and revenue will increase won’t rectify the dismal e-toll revenue situation,” Outa CEO Wayne Duvenage said.
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“What is needed is to abolish the [scheme] and seek alternative funding for the Sanral debts.”
Weekend reports claimed the task team were planning to propose a 70% discount to tariffs.
“Reducing toll tariffs or reversing past debt to entice the public to come on board will never resolve the bond payment problem,” said Duvenage.
“Our view is that the scheme should be scrapped.”
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“Compliance by motorists has dropped from the scheme’s highest point of 40% in June 2014 to around 20% today, bringing in just R55-million a month, which is a shortfall of almost R250-million per month.”
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