Johannesburg - While South Africa is bearing the brunt of power and water restrictions, Gauteng residents will now also be subsidising R123 million for e-toll shortfalls.
The Gauteng provincial government on Tuesday took a decision to give the money to the SA National Roads Agency Ltd (Sanral) for the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project.
However, this R123m only amounts to half a month’s payments required by the e-toll scheme to meet its required target of more than R260m a month.
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The Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa) expressed dismay at the province’s decision, saying it amounted to nothing more than “rearranging the deck chairs on the sinking Titanic”.
“This is a drop in the bucket for the financial black hole that Sanral’s e-toll system has become.
“Who knows where it is going or being allocated to? Gauteng taxpayers’ money will merely be wasted on Sanral’s e-toll extravagance once again.
“The R123m could have been used for other critical priorities in the province. Financing Sanral’s e-toll system robs Gauteng taxpayers of investments in more viable projects in the province.
“It could even be in direct contravention of the Sanral Act, which clearly states there should be no cross-subsidisation between tolled and non-tolled funding and operations,” said Wayne Duvenage, chairman of Outa.
“SERIOUS BLOW FOR GAUTENG”
Taking Gauteng taxpayers’ money and pushing it into funding of a national e-toll project would appear to be a gross violation of the Sanral Act, and was another serious blow to the residents of Gauteng, said Duvenage.
Outa supported the Gauteng provincial government’s willingness to invest in road infrastructure, but advocated that the full amount rather be allocated towards road maintenance on the rest of Gauteng’s critically neglected roads, and not to prop up Sanral’s incurable and exorbitant e-toll system, he added.
“Outa remains firm that urban freeway upgrades such as the GFIP should be funded through fuel levy allocations from Treasury.
“This contribution illustrates the enormous burden Sanral has placed on Gauteng motorists,” he said.
The funding was announced by MEC Barbara Creecy, who said the contribution would fund 50 percent of the system’s shortfall due to reduced e-tolls announced earlier this year, and which also offered motorists a 60 percent discount on arrears. Government is to fund 50 percent of the balance of reduced costs.
Gauteng’s contribution was agreed to in May during negotiations with deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa.
John Sukazi, head of communication of the Gauteng provincial treasury, said the money allocated was only for the shortfall from reduced fees, and was not meant to go towards any of the capital expenditure of the e-tolls.
The Star