The move‚ meant to reduce the financial burden imposed by the unpopular tariff‚ follows a call by President Jacob Zuma this year over the challenges faced by the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project.
"Users will have an extended period of 51 days from the day they pass the gantry. They will also receive the time-of-day discount‚" Peters said in her budget vote speech in an extended committee of the National Assembly.
Unregistered users will receive a 60% discount off the alternative tariff if they pay within 51 days.
For registered users‚ there will be a 48% discount for e-tag holders‚ time-of-day‚ frequent-user discounts and a R450 calendar month cap for class A2 and light vehicles.
The minister appealed to Gauteng motorists to pay the e-tolls.
Focusing on the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral)‚ which was responsible for the construction of the highway‚ the minister noted that in 2013/14 it had awarded 202 contracts for new works‚ rehabilitation and improvement of roads for R11.6bn‚ with R9.5bn spent on non-toll roads.
"Of the almost 19‚700km of roads under Sanral‚ only 3‚200km is tolled and 201km is part of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Plan‚" Peters said.
After considering various options‚ the government had decided to implement an integrated rapid rail system for the R573 Moloto Road‚ which carries more than 35‚000 commuters a day to Gauteng‚ in particular to Tshwane and back.
With reference to public transport‚ more than R5.5bn would be spent in 13 cities on planning‚ building and operating integrated public transport networks.
Three bills would be introduced in Parliament by the Department of Transport this year - the Merchant Shipping Amendment Bill‚ the Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Amendment Bill‚ and the National Land Transport Amendment Bill.
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