E-toll free ride will catch up with us

THERE are reports that the government is going to have to bail out Sanral for the boycott of e-tolls in Gauteng. This would be needed for Sanral not to default on its debt repayments for the improvements to our Gauteng highways.

Such a default would cause harm and our sovereign debt will worsen, placing our economy at risk.

These improvements have provided us with world-class highways which make driving easier. Peak-hour congestion has been reduced.

Many of those who complain when the government needs to bail out State-owned enterprises are the ones who refuse to pay for the e-tolls.

There are no free rides. We have committed capitalists who become socialists when it comes to this.

Getting e-tags and complying is cheaper than those who don’t participate. The defaulters are just accumulating more and more debt.

While the government did not market the system to the public in an all-encompassing way, it is an internationally accepted practice to raise money for roads by tolling. Perhaps a partial amnesty could be offered to those who are now willing to come on board.

Many assume that it must somehow be corrupt, even without evidence to support such accusations. Perhaps. E-tolls are being scapegoated for frustrations against graft. Martin Zagnoev