Sanral’s e-tolling system has come under fire since its inception with many Gauteng motorists refusing to pay for e-tolls.
Transport Department spokesperson Tiyani Rikhotso says the government is yet to make a decision based on the inputs of the E-toll Review Panel appointed by Gauteng Premier David Makhura.
Rihotoso says the panel was not mandated to make decisions, but recommendations.
“Most definitely e-toll has become a user pay principle which is a policy of government, and until such time that national government takes a decision on the contrary, this continues to be the method of revenue, that the government had to go and borrow, R 20 billion to go and upgrade the road infrastructure in question, so we encourage people to continue pay their e-toll bills.”
Sanral CEO, Nazir Ali says the public should change its thinking about the parastatal, as its mandate is not to make profit, but mainly to implement government policies. Ali says Sanral has also approached the Premier of Gauteng in a bid to find a hassle free way of doing things.
Earlier on the agency told the panel that it had spent 95% of its budget on maintaining the road network in South Africa.
The Transport Department now says road users will continue to finance the e-toll system while government is still looking for different funding models for road infrastructure in Gauteng.
We take a look at the highlights of e-tolls in the news over the year of 2014.
See below for a chronological view of stories about e-tolls.
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