Govt slammed for ignoring e-tolls issue for 8 years
"Schemes like this have been known to fail when compliance levels drop below 80%. Ours is at 15%."
Civil action group Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) has slammed the government for not listening to its people for almost eight years as promises of scrapping e-tolls remain promises.
While we've all been waiting since July 2019 for Minister Mbalula's "imminent" announcement on #etolls, #OUTA can assure you that we're ready to continue the fight against this irrational scheme in court if @GovernmentZA decides to try and revive it. @MbalulaFikile @PresidencyZA pic.twitter.com/S5iXZ7I7uB
— OUTA (@OUTASA) May 24, 2022
“This government doesn’t do well when it comes to public engagement,” Outa spokesperson Wayne Duvenage told Rekord.
He said many Gauteng motorists were always opposed to the “corrupt, overpriced and administratively unworkable” e-tolls.
“The people want to know what the government’s final decision is on e-tolls. Only a few people, mainly businesses, are still paying.
“We suggested they scrap e-tolls. It has failed to garner sufficient compliance levels. Schemes like this have been known to fail when compliance levels drop below 80%. Ours is at 15%.”
Duvenhage said there was no way for the government to enforce payments, so they were stuck with a dysfunctional system.
“Outa continues to remind the public that their money would be better suited to remain in their account as opposed to Sanral’s when it comes to e-tolls.”
Gauteng roads and transport MEC Jacob Mamabolo said the provincial government also called for scrapping e-tolls.
“E-tolls continue to add to the high cost of travel for people in the province.
“We await a decision from the national government and that decision should be that of scrapping this ill-fated system,” added Mamabolo.
Transport minister Fikile Mbalula, who recently tabled his department’s budget vote, said they were working on cancelling the e-tolls system.
“We have been working closely with the Minister of Finance to finalise outstanding matters that will enable the final determination by the cabinet on the funding of e-tolls.”
Mbalula said his department was aware of the adverse impact the delay had on the Sanral balance sheet and its ability to raise capital for its projects.
“This is a matter cabinet has on its radar. A pronouncement will be made once the final decision has been taken.”
Mbalula allocated R37.4-billion over the medium-term for the maintenance of provincial roads as it was largely funded through the provincial roads maintenance grant.
“Over the medium term, we have earmarked resources to finance the acquisition of a central roads data repository. This will provide a comprehensive and uniform overview of the state of South Africa’s provincial roads.”
Mbalula said the transport department was committed to providing the necessary support to ensure there was an adequate capacity to deliver roads that enabled citizens to access centres of economic activity and social infrastructure.
“Through our collective efforts, with the private sector and civil society, we will embrace creative solutions to decisively tackle potholes that have become a defining character of our secondary and tertiary road networks.”
ALSO READ: Minister of Finance says e-tolls’ user-pay system should not be entirely killed
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