Electronic toll tags will stop beeping after midnight on April 11, 2024.
Citizens group Organization to End Tax Abuse (OUTA) said the government was sending confusing messages regarding the suspension of electronic tolls.
The organization was responding to Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga who today published in the Gazette a notice regarding the withdrawal of the Gauteng Highways Improvement Project (GFIP) toll declaration, commonly known as electronic tolling.
Chikunga on Wednesday, co-hosted by South African National Highways Authority (Sanral) Director General Themba Muhambi, Sanral CEO Reginal Demana, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and Gauteng Transport MEC Kediborn Travela. A press conference was held.
“This declaration will come into force at 23:59 on April 11, 2024, and from April 12, 2024 onwards, road users will no longer be charged a fee for using the electronic toll network.”
“Although these roads will no longer be tolled, the benefits of improved roads will still remain and the gantries installed for use in this scheme will continue to be used for other functions such as crime fighting. It’s important to be careful,’” Chikunga said Wednesday at Centurion.
The minister explained that the obligation to pay electronic tolls will continue until midnight on April 11, 2024.
“If electronic tolling is discontinued, road users do not need to do anything. Importantly, “currently active accounts” will continue to be used to pay at toll plazas and other value-added services (e.g. parking) It's possible. This is critical to the continued, long-term benefits of interoperability.
Minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga. (Photo source: GCIS)
“Tag beeping will stop after midnight on April 11, 2024. For road safety purposes, gantry lights and cameras will remain on. The e-toll website 's mobility/tag account features, including interoperability and parking, will be updated regarding cancellation.
“Electronic toll plazas will remain open as tags can still be used for interoperability, account inquiry, and other potential transportation-related services to be determined in the future. E-toll branding will be phased out “This is planned,” the minister said.
Chikunga said electronic toll invoices will be rolled up to the last day and issued until this period.
OUTA, which has been fighting for the abolition of electronic tolls for many years, said in a statement that even on the eve of the abolition of electronic tolls, the government still appears to be unable to grasp the finances of the GFIP due to the following reasons: He said so. Gauteng motorists had opposed the plan in the first place and how it would force opponents to pay outstanding debts that Sanral is still seeking to collect. .
OUTA notes that the gantry will be switched off at midnight on Thursday, April 11, 2024, but the authority makes clear that the historic electronic toll debt still remains.
According to OUTA, the information at the briefing was confusing and some key issues were not clear.
The group said Chikunga believed motorists in Gauteng opposed the electronic tolling system because they did not understand it well.
“This statement itself suggests that the minister does not really understand the underlying reasons why there was widespread opposition to this project. He stressed that the cost must be paid by the user, but later suggested that the toll money would also be used to fund toll roads. 'This is a serious contradiction to the principles,' OUTA said.
He added that there are many other urban and intercity highway upgrades across the country that are not subject to tolling.
“Where is the consistency in the application of the so-called user-pays principle?” it says.
The civil society said Sanral authorities had confirmed that GFIP roads were renovated as part of South Africa's international undertakings in preparation for hosting the 2010 soccer World Cup, but the minister questioned why other cities had renovated infrastructure. He added that he could not explain why he did not charge a fee.
“In fact, Gauteng's highways had to be upgraded due to congestion a few years ago, whether we were hosting a soccer World Cup event or not.
“The minister said at the press conference that “motor drivers still have a payment obligation,'' but acknowledged that discussions are still underway on how this will be enforced.The reality of this issue is that the Sanral Board In March 2019, the company decided to stop pursuing debts by submitting summonses to those who have failed to pay electronic fees.
The group notes that this was the only mechanism left to pursue this debt, as all previous threats to withhold licenses or seek a bad credit rating came to nothing. He added that no matter how many electronic bills were mailed to delinquent customers, so far it had no effect.
OUTA CEO Wayne Duvenage said he was “surprised by Minister Chikunga's comments that the issue of unpaid e-toll debt is still under consideration.”
“Frankly, in our opinion, there is no liability for unpaid e-tolls from motorists. This is reflected directly in Sanral’s financial statements, and it is clear that there is no liability for unpaid e-tolls from motorists. All debts were canceled years ago.”
“This idea of trying to squeeze unpaid e-toll bills out of the wallets of millions of motorists when there are no further options to pursue this debt, which is largely already settled. This is a fallacy and an illusion, and Sanral cannot accept it at all.”
OUTA said there was a confused response at the briefing to the question whether electronic toll debtors could use electronic tags at other toll plazas.
Sanral stressed that electronic tags can be used in all squares and that past electronic toll debt will not be absorbed into future electronic tag accounts, but it is unclear how this will work. It is pointed out that there is.