Gauteng motorists are in for a bleak Christmas after Finance minister Tito Mboweni’s call that people should pay e-tolls.
Mboweni made it clear in his mid term budget speech in Parliament on Wednesday that government will not scrap e-tolls, saying that motorists will have to pay to enjoy the benefits of using Gauteng’s freeways.
He announced that the growth forecast has been revised downward from 1,5% to 0,7%.
However, motorists rejected his call to pay e-tolls.
“What I want to know is how it is going to be spent. Are they going to take the whole lump sum when people do not have money. You know we are kind off in a recession. So how is it going to be done,” says one motorist.
Another motorist says they cannot pay e-toll because they don’t have money. “They have to fix this thing of petrol because petrol is going up now and then.”
Most motorists say they are spending more on petrol already and can’t afford to pay for e-tolls.
DA Gauteng Premier candidate Solly Msimanga called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to cancel the e-tolls fees collections tender, and scrap them in the province.
“We are calling on Sanral to do the right thing. But we are also saying residents must not be punished for something that they were not consulted on. And actually they are already paying for these routes because they are already more that R5,70 in terms of taxes and motor vehicle renewal licenses on a yearly bases – which some of that should be going towards ensuring that roads are maintained.”
