E-tolling opposition fundraiser planned
A fund-raising initiative to help cover the costs of a legal challenge to the proposed Gauteng e-tolling would be launched soon, the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa) said on Monday.
“We are busy finalising the details… but hopefully it will be launched before the end of the week,” said chairman Wayne Duvenage.
The cost of legal fees which led to the High Court in Johannesburg granting an interdict to halt the implementation of the tolls ran into “a good few million”.
The public had been “100 percent supportive” of the Outa movement and businesses also appeared to be “very keen to contribute”, Duvenage said.
Many people pledged to give the cost of e-tag registration to the cause.
“E-tolling is an irrational method of funding the maintenance of our roads.”
Duvenage said there was a misconception that Outa was against paying for the upkeep of roads.
“We cannot accept that for every R2 [paid through e-tolling], R1 is for the roads and R1 is for the administration.”
On Friday Cabinet appointed a special committee to be chaired by Motlanthe to co-ordinate all work around the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project.
The committee would, among other things, move rapidly to ensure SA National Roads Agency Ltd’s (Sanral) financial stability was not affected in any way.
It would also meet appropriate interested parties to find constructive solutions and consensus on the outstanding matters.
Last Saturday, Judge Bill Prinsloo granted an urgent interdict, brought by Outa, to stop the e-tolling system so that a full court review could be carried out to determine whether it should be scrapped.
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