SANRAL and the ANC government have admitted that the E-Toll system in the Pretoria and Johannesburg area is a failure.
A “Plan B” is now being considered, which aims at increasing public involvement in the implementation of toll roads.
Alternative routes tarred and appropriately maintained should be available to motorists.
Wayne Duvenage of OUTA welcomed the decision saying that toll roads in other provinces would be difficult to approve after the court in the Cape ruled against Sanral.
The new law that the government intends after the failure of the Gauteng E-Toll system proves that the FF Plus was correct with its initial legal opinion and ongoing criticism of the system, said Adv. Anton Alberts, chairman of the FF Plus.
“It’s gratifying to see that the new transport minister, Joe Maswanganyi, realizes the factual issues surrounding Gauteng’s e-toll and is trying to address the amendment bill to avoid similar problems with future toll roads.”
“However, the FF Plus believes that no province will, in fact, consider it possible to declare any road a toll road in the future because e-tolling in Gauteng had experienced so much resistance from the public.”
“It is also important to note that the new amendment bill states that alternative routes should be made available if a toll road is established. It was entirely absent from the planning of Gauteng’s toll roads, causing severe traffic problems,” said Adv Alberts.
Read the original article in Afrikaans on Die Vryburger
South Africa Today – South Africa News
