Gauteng gantry bells to start tolling

File photo: Motshwari Mofokeng

File photo: Motshwari Mofokeng

Published Dec 2, 2013

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Johannesburg - At midnight, the Gauteng freeways will no longer be free, when the much-criticised and long-delayed e-tolls are switched on.

It’s a fight that has been through the high court, the Supreme Court of Appeal, the Constitutional Court and is heading back to court again.

South African National Roads Agency Ltd (Sanral) spokesman Vusi Mona said that as the clock strikes midnight on Monday evening, all the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project gantries will be activated.

By 12.01am, the first motorists making their way across Gauteng’s highway network will be tolled.

Yesterday, Minister of Transport Dipuo Peters urged motorists to obtain e-tags.

“It’s in your best interests that you get tagged. This will enable you to gain access to discounts offered to tag holders by Sanral.

“We are aware of campaigns discouraging people from registering and we wish to encourage motorists not to to pay attention to this.”

Sanral claims 728 360 e-tags have been sold.

The e-toll charges work out at 59c per kilometre for unregistered users for cars, or 30c/km for those with e-tags.

Mona said the gantry activation had been smooth sailing, and if there had been any technical issues, the public would have been informed.

LAST-MINUTE COURT BID

The courts have ruled e-tolling legal, but in a last-minute bid to stop e-tolling, the Toll Gate Action Group, established by the Freedom Front Plus, was due today to ask the Pretoria High Court to urgently halt e-tolling pending a later application in which the legality of the process followed by the government would be challenged. The government is expected to oppose the action.

The Toll Gate Action Group believes the government acted against the constitution by not following due process in proclaiming the e-tolling and in publishing the e-toll tariff notice. It will ask the court to order the government to start the process from scratch.

Freedom Front Plus MP Anton de Waal Alberts said in a state- ment to the court that unconstitutional procedures were followed in promulgating the Transport Laws and Related Matters Amendment Act 3 of 2013, which governs the e-tolls.

Parts of the application rely on arguments advanced in the unsuccessful applications by the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance.

Alberts said a draft of the e-toll regulations should first have gone through Parliament for comment and published with calls for public comment, but this did not happen.

He said the legislation should have been dealt with as a money bill, as the levying of tolls constitutes a form of government revenue collection by Sanral.

Motorists are not happy.

On Sunday, social networks were overflowing with irritation and confusion over the imminent gantry activation.

Twitter user Anel Pienaar wrote: “Think its so unfair for media & #sanral to pull us in so many directions re #etolls. What do I do? Register or not? #stressedout”

 

Peters also came under attack.

“It will be a cold day in hell before I register for an etag Minister Peters,” said Twitter user Flip Mouers.

“I hope the ANC will go watch #MandelaLWTF, maybe then they will remember that it is not to steal from us but to FREE us. NO TO #eTolls!!!!!!,” said Twitter user Khensani.

 

Even Sanral seemed a little confused about the new system, referring to the e-toll costs as “52c a litre” for those without an e-tag.

“There is a R450 per month cap on what each person can pay for using the Gauteng e-roads. To reach the R450 cap you would have passed about 31 gantries per month,” said Sanral.

Buses and taxis don’t have to pay e-tolls and there are discounts for others during off-peak hours. -The Star

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