By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga has officially gazetted the withdrawal of e-tolls scheme on various Gauteng roads.
E-tolls are a system that was introduced in the province by national government to improve road network.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi during the State of the Province Address (SOPA) stated that the Gauteng e-toll scheme is expected to be delinked from the end of March this year.
The withdrawal of toll declaration will be effective on 11 April 2024, making it possible for the gantries to be switched off for tolling purposes.
The 3rd of December 2013 marked the first day of the controversial e-tolls managed by the South African National Agency Limited (SANRAL).
The system compelled motorists to pay for using certain highways around Gauteng, mainly in Johannesburg and Tshwane.
The controversial toll system was rejected by motorists who then refused to pay and various civil society organisations.
The scrapping of e-tolls has long been in the pipeline and Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana, during the mini budget speech in October 2022, called for moving on from “debates of previous years and find solutions to this challenge”.
During that speech, the Minister explained that the Gauteng provincial government had agreed to “contribute 30 percent to settling SANRAL’s debt and interest obligations” related to the tolls.
It remains unclear whether the Gauteng government has the financial muscle to pay 30% of Sanral’s debt and the required annual R3-billion to maintain the 201km infrastructure as well as where the money will be sourced from, in light of the province’s deteriorating purse.
E-toll roads in Gauteng make up 1% of Sanral’s national network. The Gauteng road network is in desperate need of restoration, which will be costly. According to Sanral, 85% of Gauteng’s roads are beyond their design life cycle and need significant investment into maintenance.
Among the most important questions that remain is what will happen to the gantries. Lesufi’s office has repeatedly insisted that they will be used as a crime-fighting tool. Sanral spokesperson Vusi Mona could neither confirm nor deny this.
The e-tolls infrastructure is a significant asset which is able to assist with improved mobility, road safety and other transport-related services on Gauteng’s freeways. Sanral is committed to working with all stakeholders in this regard.