Too many snags in e-tags
Extra costs will put budgets into overdrive
THANK you, Minister of Transport Dipuo Peters, for the early Christmas present that you delivered this week.
The song God Bless Us Everyone from The Christmas Carol rings in my head at the announcement that the e-tolls will go live in nine days.
I’m sure you know the tale, because as far as I’m concerned the toll roads sound the death knell for many household budgets that are perilously poised on the edge of disaster.
A large part of these budgets are spent on travelling to and from work and, like me, I’m sure Gautengers have done their sums. The addition of about R1 000 to their budget is not a figure to joke about.
Do we pay the tolls or do we just blockade the roads — like the taxi industry does when it is unhappy with the government’s laws?
We all know that the taxi industry got a percentage in the Rea Vaya bus system after things got ugly and that taxis and buses are exempt because the government couldn’t deal with the consequences.
But as ratepayers, what can we do? Not much, except to fork out more than we are doing now.
There are already threats of debt collection if you don’t buy your e-tag or don’t pay. Mark my words, fellow toll payers, the fees will be increased every year.
The price of all goods transported by road will go up, so the people whom the government wants to help will definitely feel the pinch when they buy everyday items. Explain to me again, President Jacob Zuma, how the quality of life is going to improve if everything costs a whole lot more?
I believe the number of cars on the road will soon diminish owing to the lack of finances to keep them running. So I don’t understand the concept of the Gauteng freeway improvement project — what is it aimed at improving, because it certainly isn’t improving my life?
So why are we Gautengers making such a big deal about the tolls?
Let me give my coastal friends a little bit of a heads up: it won’t be long before the government realises how much money it is getting and you guys in Durban and Cape Town will be tolled to death.
Motorcyclists will pay 24c a kilometre, light motor vehicles 40c, medium vehicles R1 and “longer” vehicles R2.
Qualifying commuter taxis and buses are exempt.
What the criteria are to obtain an exemption is anyone’s guess.
The e-tag system will give a 20% discount to road users and be monitored by a transponder fitted to the vehicle. It will count the number of times the vehicle passes under the toll gantries, at 10km intervals.
Oh, and by the way, an Austrian company will be getting paid R70-million to collect the toll fees. So much for keeping it local.
Ho. Ho. Humbug.