Anti-toll groups, including the Congress of SA Trade Unions in Gauteng agreed on Friday to jointly file a petition within 14 days to forward to Transport Minister Sbu Ndebele.
Cosatu, opposition parties, civil society organisations and residents reached the agreement during public hearings on the tolling system, held at the Johannesburg City Hall.
They would take to the streets of Gauteng in an attempt to force Ndebele to scrap the tolling system, they said.
Under the tolling system, which is set to come into effect in February, the drivers of light motor vehicles will have to pay R0.40/km to use certain highways.
Union federation Cosatu on Friday threatened to “turn the streets of Gauteng red” and protest to have the planned tolls in the province scrapped.
Workers were at the losing end of the tolls, Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) official Dumisani Dakile told the Gauteng petition standing committee in Johannesburg.
He said some companies had already indicated that they would retrench workers if the tolls were implemented next year, due to costs of business increasing.
“We heard that Sanral is already registering tags for tolling while this (hearing) process is taking place. It must be called into order,” he said, referring to the SA National Roads Agency Limited.
“To make matters worse, Sanral started with the open road tolling, which is a modernised privatisation of public roads. With this system Sanral aims to force people to use public transport which is currently inadequate.”
Dakile called for the scrapping of the tolls and the disbandment of Sanral.
“If it takes turning the streets red, Cosatu is prepared to do so,” he said. - Sapa