Calling on Cyril to scrap e-tolls
‘EXCESSIVE BURDEN’: FIND ALTERNATIVE – MSIMANGA
93% of money goes to Austrian collection agency, so benefit to Gauteng residents is minimal – DA.
Democratic Alliance (DA) Gauteng premier candidate Solly Msimanga yesterday called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to scrap e-tolls in the province and announce alternative plans to fund Gauteng roads.
Msimanga said this was after the DA learnt that Ramaphosa was to announce more stringent measures to deal with the nonpayment of e-tolls.
“We are not hopeful that this announcement will ease the excessive burden imposed on commuters by the failing ANC,” Msimanga said.
He said the DA was also calling on Ramaphosa to cancel the contract of the electronic toll collections joint venture with Kapsch TrafficCom, due to expire next year.
It had been projected that 93% of the money raised from e-tolls went to the Austrian company, which is the collection agency, and only 7% was used to maintain Gauteng roads, he added.
“Clearly, e-tolls do not benefit the residents of Gauteng.”
Msimanga described e-tolls as an excessive and unnecessary burden on the province’s residents who, due to inflation and the ongoing increases in the petrol price, were already struggling to survive.
“The e-tolls also have cost implications on goods such as groceries which pass through Gauteng.
“This means that it affects all South Africans,” Msimanga added.
The DA Gauteng premier candidate said the issuing of summonses to companies and motorists by the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) for nonpayment of e-tolls had a major impact on businesses trying to survive during an economic recession.
“Gauteng premier David Makhura has on numerous occasions indicated that e-tolls are not working, yet nothing has happened. Another broken promise by the failing ANC.”
Msimanga added that Makhura had promised, in his state of the province address, that since e-tolls were not working, he would engage with Ramaphosa to try and find a solution.
“However, to date, the premier has not given us any feedback and the e-toll saga remains unresolved,” Msimanga said.
He added that the ANC had been using the e-toll controversy for electioneering ahead of the 2019 national elections. He said Minister of Transport Blade Nzimande indicated two months ago that R67 billion was owed to Sanral for building freeways.
Msimanga said he had requested that his colleagues in the provincial legislature and the National Assembly submit questions regarding the amount raised through e-tolls in Gauteng. This would determine whether that income was sufficient to maintain provincial roads. –
Gauteng e-tolls affect all South Africans. It is expected of members of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation to be beyond reproach.
Lieutenant-General Godfrey Lebeya National Hawks head