The South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) announced on Thursday that e-tolls in Gauteng have been scrapped.
The gantries will be disconnected from the e-tolls network at a minute before midnight on 11 April. This means that from 12 April, road users will no longer be charged for the use of the e-toll network.
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana, Sanral, the department of transport, national treasury and the Gauteng provincial government agreed to cover Gauteng’s commitment to backlog maintenance and for the province to pay 30% of Sanral’s debt to government.
Godongwana said he is pleased that the issue has been settled. “The outstanding issues on the future of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project had become a source of uncertainty, not only to road users, but also to Sanral,” he said.
Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga called the move “a major milestone for road users in Gauteng”.
“As government we are mandated to provide excellent roads and we will continue to do so. We will work with all stakeholders to make sure we maintain the excellent roads that people have become accustomed to on the e-toll network and beyond,” she said.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said that e-tolling on Gauteng freeways has been met with backlash since its inception on 3 December 2013.
“While there is a general acceptance of the user-pays principle and willingness to pay for current and future upgrades of roads and public transport infrastructure, in its current form, the e-toll system was unaffordable,” he said.
Compiled by Staff Reporter
Pictured above: Transport minister Sindisiwe Chikunga called the move a ‘major milestone’.
Source: www.dpsa.gov.za
