Minister says state to push ahead with e-tolling
TRANSPORT Minister Ben Martins warned motorists yesterday that the government remained committed to e-tolling, saying this would be implemented as soon as the National Council of Provinces passed the enabling legislation.
Mr Martins dismissed as “unfounded and baseless” speculation that the government could reconsider implementation of its unpopular e-toll programme to charge for the use of freeways. He said motorists should rather concern themselves with acquiring e-tags in order to qualify for discounted tariffs.
Last month, the Transport Laws and Related Matters Amendment Bill passed through the General Assembly, and was roundly criticised by opposition parties and trade union federation Cosatu.
“E-tolling is on track. It has been to Parliament and now it’s waiting for approval by the National Council of Provinces and from there it will be implemented. I suggest you get your e-tags now so that you can get a discount,” said Mr Martins on the sidelines of a media briefing meant as an update of road deaths recorded during the Easter weekend.
The minister’s spokesman, Tiyani Rikhotso, said there was no definite time line for how long it would take before e-tolling began.
“The National Council
of Provinces will send the bill back to the National Assembly and from there it will go to the president.
“We can’t say how long it will take for the process to come to an end because the bill is not in our hands currently. Parliament runs its own processes and we can’t interfere,” Mr Rikhotso said.
He said there would be no further public consultation concerning the proposed tolls.
One of the major criticisms levelled at the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project, as the main tolling project is called, has been the ability of the government to collect toll fees from users.
Addressing that issue, the minister said it would be the respon- sibility of the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) to collect the tolls. He said he was satisfied with the agency’s ability to do so and despite the high number of daily transactions at road gantries, enforcement would not be a problem.
Sanral will use the Criminal Procedure Act to ensure that commuters on the roads that are part of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project pay their tariffs.
Commenting on traffic activity during the Easter period, Mr Martin said: “Preliminary statistics supplied by the South African Police Service indicate that 241 people died as a result of 201 recorded fatal crashes. The final figures will be released once the police and the traffic officials have reconciled the available information. Many of these deaths occurred in villages, townships and other residential areas.”
Last week, it was reported that all nine provincial MECs who sit on the shareholders committee of the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) had unanimously decided that the corporation should be shut down for failing to fulfil its mandate.
Referring to this, Mr Martins said that nothing had been set in stone.
“We are discussing the matter. What we are looking at is how to make the RTMC work more effectively. We seek to maximise the expertise that the RTMC does.
“We seek to achieve greater excellence. As soon as there is finalisation on that process of discussion, we will make it known,” Mr Martins said. With Nicky Smith