Public meetings on the e-tolling of Gauteng freeways are being poorly attended, the Opposition To Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa) said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe notification of these hearings has been typically dismal and as such, only around 60 people arrived at this first of three sessions,\u201d Outa head Wayne Duvenage said.<\/p>\n
\u201cA number of those present only knew about the hearing after seeing this on the Outa\u2026 and Facebook site[s].\u201d<\/p>\n
He said the handful of people who attended the first meeting held in Kempton Park on Tuesday night voiced absolute rejection of the SA National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) and government\u2019s plan to toll Gauteng\u2019s freeways.<\/p>\n
Duvenage said public sentiment showed that people were not willing to register for e-tags.<\/p>\n
\u201cOuta encourages the public to participate and engage when and where it can, thereby sending a clear message to the authorities of their rejection of this inefficient plan, and waste of taxpayer\u2019s money.\u201d<\/p>\n
Last month, the government and Sanral announced new tariffs for e-tolling of Gauteng\u2019s freeways.<\/p>\n
The announcement, made on October 26, marked the beginning of a 30-day public consultation process.<\/p>\n
After this, 14 days would be set aside for Transport Minister Ben Martins to \u201capply his mind\u201d, and another 14 days for the gazetting of the final tariffs.<\/p>\n
This would mean e-tolls could come into effect four days before Christmas.<\/p>\n
The Sowetan newspaper reported on Wednesday that members of the public walked out of the Kempton Park meeting, as they were not satisfied that their objections to e-tolling would count.<\/p>\n
Almost half of the 60 people who had attended complained that government had not consulted them before the toll gantries were erected, the paper reported.<\/p>\n
The people disrupted the meeting after they were told that the meeting was not to hear objections but was an information sharing session, the Sowetan reported.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have poor communities who have been registered as indigents by the local municipality. Government should have collected the register from the municipality to see if they should not be exempted from paying,\u201d said Russel Baloyi, one of those who attended the meeting.<\/p>\n
The Congress of SA Trade Unions said it was disappointed with the way the meetings were handled.<\/p>\n
\u201cResidents at the meeting\u2026 were angry that having at last had an opportunity to discuss the tolls, they were told that Cabinet had already agreed to the proposal and that these meetings could not change that decision,\u201d said Cosatu\u2019s Patrick Craven.<\/p>\n
* UPDATE<\/strong>: Sapa reported that another public hearing would be held at the CSIR on Thursday (15 November 2012). However, according to the OUTA website<\/a> this is not the case.<\/p>\n The details of tomorrow’s hearings are as follows:<\/p>\n The Focus Rooms, E-toll public hearings continue<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n E-toll meetings must be attended: COSATU<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
\nThe Core, 1st Floor South,
\nCnr of Kikuyu & Leeuwkop Str,
\nSunninghill.
\nStarts at 18h00<\/p>\nRelated articles<\/h3>\n