A proposed reduction on toll tariffs for Gauteng's freeways still poses a financial burden on road users who do not need to be taxed any further, organisation said on Thursday.
Kallie Kriel, CEO of civil rights initiative group AfriForum, said salary earning motorists were becoming a “cash cow” for government.
He called the tariff cut a “miracle”, because the public were initially told that there was no way to reduce costs.
“Miracles do happen, but salary earning motorists are becoming a cash cow.”
DA provincial spokesman Neil Campbell said: “We are being taxed to death, but get very little in return for that tax.”
Cambell, Kriel, and other representatives were speaking at a Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP) stakeholder meeting in Johannesburg.
The proposed reduced toll tariffs were released to the media by GFIP steering committee director-general George Mahlalela on Thursday morning.
It was however embargoed for release at 1pm, while the meeting convened at 10am.
Mahlalela said the reduced charges would now be submitted to government for consideration.
Business Unity SA acting executive director for economic policy, Coenraad Bezuidenhout, said suggestions made during previous meetings with the committee had not been addressed.
He also accused the committee of not affording organisations the opportunity to prepare for Thursday's meeting, by announcing the proposed fees to the media first, and changing the program three times.
SA Communist Party Gauteng representative, Pat Ntsobi, said processes lacked public participation. He said there was also no compelling reason why people had to be overburdened by toll fees.
According to the proposals, users of light motor vehicles would pay R0.40/km instead of R0.49/km, minibus taxi drivers R0.11/km instead of R0.16/km and bikers R0.24 instead of R0.30/km.
These proposed numbers only apply to people using e-tags.
The initial tariff announced was R0.66/km for vehicles without an e-tag account.
For medium vehicles, the toll fee was reduced from R1.49/km to R1 and for large vehicles from R2.97 to R2. For commuter buses the cost would be reduced from R0.50/km to R0.36.
An e-tag works much like pre-paid cellphone airtime, fits on the front windscreen of a vehicle and is scanned by toll gantries.
Forty two electronic toll gates have been erected on the N1, N3, N12, N17, R21 and R24. The tolls cover a distance of about 185km.
Anton Alberts, Freedom Front Plus parliamentary spokesman on transport, said the party had procedural problems with the finalisation of the proposed tariffs, and the tariffs themselves.
“In the final analyses the FF Plus is not satisfied with the concessions which have been made and will consider further options to ensure that fair tariffs see the light of day,” Alberts said.
Taxi associations also voiced concerns of having to pay for tolls.
“I would have been happy with zero payment on these roads,” National Taxi Alliance chairman Francis Masitsa told the meeting.
He said calculations indicated that those in the taxi industry would have to fork out about R5800 extra a year.
The SA National Taxi Association (Santaco) said commuters, some of whom were the poorest of the poor, would feel themselves discriminated against.
Santaco communications manager Thabiso Molelekwa said businesses also stood a chance of “collapsing by default”. He suggested that taxis be completely exempted from tolling.
Mahlalela intervened during the meeting, to indicate that it was “payback time” for road users.
“They are built, now we have to pay for it,” he said.
The proposed tariffs would be made to the transport and finance ministers, as well as the Gauteng premier. They will then make a pronouncement on the matter, with transport minister Sibusiso Ndebele expected to make a final announcement.
The initial proposed tariffs and their effect on the economy and people's pockets caused a public outcry. Ndebele then appointed the committee in February to come up with other options.
Mahlalela said several meetings between interested parties and the committee took place between March 24 and April 6 this year. Submissions from the public were also received.
SA Road Federation president Mutshutshu Nxumalo said the apartheid government had left the department with challenges and backlogs.
He said tolling was a way to gain very little money that “had to be spread thinly” to make roads safer.
Nxumalo accused the public of “crying” over the user pay system, when they were the ones using the roads.
“I wish people would appreciate these things,” he said. - Sapa