Sneaky way with e-tolls

The message from the government encouraging motorists to go out and buy e-tags is devious and undermines the public.

It indicates that despite consultations currently under way with Cosatu, the state is determined to steamroll the process and implement the rejected e-tolls.

This projects a government that does not seem to care about the concerns of its citizens.

Cosatu, the only other vocal voice against e-tolls with the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa), has come out with guns blazing, accusing the government of arrogance.

Launching Transport Month this week, Transport Minister Dikobe Martins insisted that though consultations were ongoing, motorists should buy e-tags, with which they will be billed when the system becomes operational.

"People can start buying e-tags. We will meet Cosatu this week and announcement will be made," Martins was quoted as saying.

When pressed to find out if this was the state's sneaky way of getting buy-in on the e-toll system by selling as many e-tags as possible to help support their cause, Martins apparently refused to elaborate.

Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi vowed they would take to the streets to protest against e-tolls.

"The consultation with us has remained a public relations exercise," he said.

A few days after Martins' statement the public is once again alerted to the fact that e-tolls will soon be a reality.

This time by an announcement yesterday that Gauteng residents will know by tomorrow from the inter-ministerial committee how the e-toll systems will be implemented.

All these preparations indicate that it is all-systems-go and shows a government that is not willing to take the concerns of its people, who are opposed to e-tolling, to heart.

If the government is sincere, why is it still having consultations with Cosatu while scrambling to put systems in place to dupe the public into buying as many e-tags as possible?

Outa has stated categorically that so far eagerness to buy e-tags has come from a few corporates and that it will take the public's buy-in for the system to become effective.

Cosatu and Outa speak on behalf of many citizens when they say paying toll fees places an unreasonable burden on the public.

Is the ANC-led government willing to exercise its might at the expense of facing the wrath of the angry masses?

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