Johannesburg - The South African National Roads Agency Ltd has given taxis another year to get the e-tags needed for e-toll exemptions in yet another bid to make e-tolls work, while a survey has found increasing intolerance for e-tolls among motorists.
The original deadline for taxis was 30 September but a legal notice issued this week extends the deadline to 1 September 2015.
Sanral offers taxis exemption from e-tolls on the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project, but only if they have valid operating licences and also register for e-tags by the deadline.
The operating licences are issued by thedepartment of transport, and taxi organisations have repeatedly complained of problems in obtaining such licences.
Emergency vehicles, including police, ambulances and firefighting vehicles, also get exemptions, but there is no e-tags deadline.
Sanral spokesman Vusi Mona said 47 956 taxis had been identified and registered for exemption so far. The extension was for the issuing of e-tags to those already registered.
“In future, new taxis that qualify for exemption will be handled as a single process - registration and tagging taking place at the same time.”
Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance chairman Wayne Duvenage said the delay confirmed the e-toll system was unworkable.
He said Sanral has had more than two years to get taxis tagged, but had not been able to.
“It just shows how incompetent the administration of the system is,” he said.
Meanwhile, the SA Chamber of Commerce and Industry said on Tuesday a survey of 6600 road users on the e-tolls’ administration found poor service by Sanral and resistance to paying.
“The survey shows that a sizeable portion of road users will remain opposed and will continue to ignore collection efforts out of frustration with poor service delivery and as a matter of principle,” it said.
PREMIER WILLING TO HELP BUT WON’T FACE OFF WITH GOVERNMENT
Gauteng premier David Makhura has no intention of taking the national government to court over the disputed e-tolls in the province – at least for now.
That was the impression he gave when answering questions in the legislature on Tuesday.
He was reacting to questions by DA Gauteng leader John Moodey, who wanted to know whether Makhura would take action if the recommendations of his panel on e-tolls were rejected by the national government.
Moodey had asked whether, in the event that the premier’s e-toll review panel - which is now in the process of holding stakeholder and public meetings across the province – found that e-tolls were having a damaging socio-economic impact on the quality of life of Gauteng’s residents, could the premier please explain the following:
Whether the findings of the panel would be used to declare a dispute between the Gauteng provincial and national government in terms of section 42 of the constitution.
Whether the premier would use other avenues (such as a provincial referendum in terms of section 127 of the constitution) to demonstrate the people of Gauteng’s opposition to unjust national legislation to the national government.
Whether the premier would refer the unjust legislation to the judicial system if the national government refused to retract and/or amend the Transport Laws and Related Matters Amendment Act.
Moodey made it clear that minister of transport Dipuo Peters’s remark that e-tolls would not be reviewed had sparked his questions.
Makhura told the legislature that he did not have any intention to go to court. He believed the e-tolls issues were likely to be resolved.
“I have no intention to declare a dispute with any issue which can be resolved,” he said.
The Star