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 Defy this thing, drive through the public roads.
We will not be used as a cash-cow to profit some foreign investors 

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GAUTENG motorists have been granted a reprieve from freeway toll fees.

A new fee structure announced by government proposes that tolls for regular users of freeways be capped at R550.

Commuter taxis and buses will be exempt from paying toll fees, while a 20% discount will be introduced for heavy-duty vehicles that travel on the highways outside of peak traffic hours.

The proposed new price structure was announced by Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan at a press briefing just before tabling his budget in Parliament.

But trade union federation Cosatu, a fierce opponent of the toll fees, has stuck to its guns, saying the proposed fee structure remained unaffordable.

Cosatu boss Zwelinzima Vavi reiterated his call for motorists to drive through the toll without paying immediately after the tabling of the budget. He said the planned strike against the toll fees next month would remain in place and another one would take place in April.

"We will not compromise, we just don't have the R500 to pay ... it's not good enough.

"To our people, don't buy those e-tags. Defy this thing, drive through the public roads. We will not be used as a cash-cow to profit some foreign investors," said Vavi.

In terms of the new price regime, the per-kilometre fee for private motorists goes down from 66c to 30c for those that purchase e-tags from roads agency Sanral. Frequent users now have their toll-fees capped at R550 per month, no matter how often they travel on Gauteng's freeways. They will also qualify for a 15% discount when their toll-fee account accumulates to R400 in a single month.

Motorbikes will now be charged 20c per kilometre per trip, smaller trucks have to fork out 75c per kilometre on Gauteng freeways, and bigger-size trucks a whopping R1.51c per kilometre.

Heavy-duty vehicles will benefit from a 20% discount for using the freeways outside morning and afternoon peak hours. Tolling will start on April 30.

The planned tolling of Gauteng freeways was introduced to help Sanral pay back more than R59-billion that it has borrowed to upgrade roads nationally. Gauteng freeways alone have cost Sanral R20-billion to upgrade.

The Automobile Association has threatened to take government to court over the planned tolling of freeways.

Raymond Parsons, the deputy CEO of Business lobby group BUSA, yesterday welcomed the new fee structure as a compromise, saying government had come a long way to meet the demands of various groups.

Unhappiness over the plan prompted government to put the implementation of the toll fees on hold while it embarked on a frantic search for a solution.

Gordhan described the new price plan as "extremely generous" and a demonstration that government does listen to the concerns of its citizens. "This is the best that that government can do ... it's a demonstration of government's commitment to coming to the party where it can find the means."

He said government was now appealing to all concerned parties to seriously consider the new price plan.

Deputy Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene said government would direct some of the R5-billion refund it received from the aborted sale of Airbus aircraft by arms manufacturer Armscor towards Sanral to help it repay its loans.

Transport Minister S'bu Ndebele said Gauteng would prioritise the rejuvenation of the R55 and R101 routes between Johannesburg and Pretoria, which would be used by motorists who could not afford the freeway toll fees.

Comments

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Sun May 19 16:02:12 SAST 2013 ::

Feb 23, 2012

SeshegoGuY

TORCH THE TOLLS!!!!!!!!!

Whoever thinks this thing won't have any Inflationary Consequences is living in LA LA Land

These distribution companies will be forced to pay the Extra costs and will def. pass it on to the Consumers. Eventually those "Exempted" (Taxis & Buses users) will PAY
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Feb 23, 2012

tumzangwana

"To our people, don't buy those e-tags. Defy this thing, drive through the public roads. We will not be used as a cash-cow to profit some foreign investors," said Vavi.
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AMEN VAVI. i dont have a car as i use the bus but i still think this e-toll thing is very unfair. i will be joining the strike. h3ll the way we are forced to pay for everything these days i wouldnt be surprised if the big guns start making us pay for the air we breathe.

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Feb 23, 2012

SeshegoGuY

I agree Tumza

Damn, i can't visit my brother anymore-- From Northriding to Kempton Park, Which Road should i use??

Can't even go to my friends in Pta??? These b@astards....

No more Marathons in Pta or East rand side----- We are being milked & we r not even COWS
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Feb 23, 2012

KeRataBasadi

"Cosatu sticks to its guns, encourages drivers not to pay" I am way ahead of Cosatu, I cant afford to pay, so I wont, simple as that.

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Feb 23, 2012

NDA

We are paying for their corruption deeds.
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Feb 23, 2012

tumzangwana

@SeshegoGuy

matho wa modimo i feel you. pls correct me if im wrong, but i think that this is going to affect the price for everything in the sho.ps (they will increase) as the companies who rely on these heavy duty trucks to deliver stuff to those sho.ps will be increasing their prices because they cant pay these e - toll thing from their pockets, they also have to make profit. this is so unfair.
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Feb 23, 2012

tumzangwana

@SeshegoGuy

and please dont even get me started on the petrol price, what you say is true we are being milked dry and we are not even cows or goats.
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Feb 23, 2012

xBusi

What is concerning for me is that they don’t only want to implement the tolling system, but also increased the tax on fuel with 20c per litre. Our tax on fuel is now already R2 per litre. What are these funds used for? Economists say that an increase of 10c per litre is enough to maintain our roads infrastructure.
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Feb 23, 2012

LBS

"Transport Minister S'bu Ndebele said Gauteng would prioritise the rejuvenation of the R55 and R101 routes between Johannesburg and Pretoria, which would be used by motorists who could not afford the freeway toll fees."

Why have they not maintained the roads in the last 18 years, then they wouldn't have to 'rejuvenate' anything?!
Politicians get fat salaries and f ree transport paid for by us the taxpayer, so they do not feel the pain of tolls and general increases.
The average person CANNOT afford to pay out another R500pm on something that wasn't needed in the first place.
It's time for politicians to stop milking the public just to enrich themselves and their cronies!!
The burden the general public is having to shoulder is getting way to heavy - something is going to snap!!
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Feb 23, 2012

Machiavelli777

The tolls can work it is meant to change behaviour. Peak hours, fine you can charge. Weekends, Public holidays and off peak should not attract any fees. Than we can support otherwise we will not pay anything.
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