Government27.02.2014

Suspend e-tolls now, use gantries for traffic monitoring: Outa

E-toll crush

The Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa) released a new research report titled “E-Tolling at an Impasse: Transcending the Mess in Gauteng”, to bring to light the “fatal flaws, inconsistencies, absurdities and blatant lack of integrity in the e-tolling decision”.

“Even though it is hard hitting, we have tried to be intellectually honest to generate light rather than stoke more heat,” said Outa spokesperson John Clarke.

“It rigorously interrogates the Gauteng Open Road Tolling (GORT) rationale in the light of international case studies and benchmarks for success”.

The report has been sent to transport minister Dipuo Peters and Ruth Bhengu, chair of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport.

Peters and Bhengu was urged to respond with “political courage to honour the civil courage shown by some 70% of Gauteng motorists who have refused to buy e-tags because of the lack of transparency over the e-tolling decision”.

Suspend e-tolls now

Outa states in its report that the time is over for excuses and rationalisations, and that e-tolls should be suspended.

“The reality is that Gauteng is now a province prone to significant societal conflict over the e-toll decision and this does not bode well for success with the project,” the report states.

Outa proposes the following process to ‘dissolve’ the problem:

  1. A suspension of e-tolling and an invitation to stakeholders to engage in a facilitated process to imagine what a truly integrated urban transport and congestion management system for Gauteng would look like.
  2. During the suspension of e-tolling, the national fuel levy is increased appropriately (estimate 10c per litre) to raise the revenues to meet the GFIP financial commitments. (If indeed a National fuel levy is a bridge too far for the authorities to accept, an inland fuel levy, such as was adopted to finance the fuel pipeline, will concentrate the charge to Gauteng motorists. Government has ring-fenced levies on fuel and we see no reason that this cannot be applied in this instance.)
  3. A multilateral and multi-party working group of government, business, labour and civil society representatives is established to examine options for raising the necessary funds to repay the bonds and interest for GFIP, over 20 years.
  4. The gantry and infrastructure remain in place on loan to the Gauteng Provincial Traffic Authorities for use for traffic monitoring and law enforcement (speeding, identification of cloned number plates, etc). If indeed at some stage in the future, when good public transport alternatives are in place, an ITS tolling system may become possible, but only after a thorough public engagement and approval process has been conducted.

“We believe a collaborative effort and approach by all stakeholders on this matter will stave off any further credit rating downgrades for Sanral and will achieve the best possible result for both citizen and the state,” Outa said.

“It is never too late to halt the journey down a dangerous path and embark along a safer and more prosperous route that garners the support of one’s people.”

“Persisting and pursuing with the current e-toll journey will further drive a wedge between this Government and its people. The unintended consequences of innocent people being caught up in this mess will pose problems far too serious to contemplate.”

More e-toll news

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E-toll protest goes airborne

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