Johannesburg - The Democratic Alliance in Gauteng has slammed as disingenuous the recent e-toll concessions announced by Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The DA’s Gauteng Shadow MEC for Roads and Transport, Neil Campbell, said in a statement on Wednesday: “If all motorists had bought e-tags when Premier Makhura announced the formation of his ‘advisory panel’, they would have been required to pay 30 cents per kilometre - exactly the same as what the ‘concession’ requires them to pay.”
He said that while the capping of the monthly rate was indeed a concession, motorists were cautioned to be wary that in supporting the existing tariff, it could and would be escalated at above inflation rates at the will of the ANC, as had happened annually.
“The ANC, having promised to listen to the people has, as usual, moved directly against the will of the people of Gauteng who have made it quite clear that they are vehemently opposed to this unjust tax,” Campbell said.
He added that no one had explained to motorists why it was necessary to spend hundreds of millions of rands in e-toll collection fees when a simple simple fuel levy would be more than adequate to pay off the costs of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project.
“This is not the manner in which a truly caring party would act,” he said.
“Perhaps the off-shore route is the only way of hiding ill-gotten gains for well-heeled and powerful individuals within the ruling party.”
ANA