E-tolls add R200 a month to costs

"Travelling on Gauteng's roads when e-tolling has been implemented in about two months' time will cost motorists considerably less than is generally assumed‚" spokesman Vusi Mona said.

"We know this because we have tracked actual usage by 2.5m vehicles on the Gauteng e-roads." Less than 1% of road users will pay the maximum of R550 a month.

But motorists would need to have an e-tag for this.

Mona said so far there had been 600‚000 e-tag registrations.

The roads agency announced on last week that e-tolling would begin in the next two months.

The relevant legislation - the Transport and Related Matters Amendment Bill --was "winding its way" through the parliamentary process‚ said Mona.

"Once adopted‚ Transport Minister Ben Martins will formally announce the tariffs‚ followed by the necessary notice period. This should take about two months‚" he said.

The bill legalises e-tolling of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project and was approved in the National Assembly.

Tariffs reduced

The lower charges were as a result of the increase of the debt repayment period‚ and the R5.7bn contribution paid by the National Treasury.

"Tariffs have been substantially reduced. For example‚ the initial proposal for light motor vehicles‚ equipped with an e-tag‚ was 50c/km but is now only 30c/km - a 40% reduction‚" Mona said.

"Trucks and heavy vehicles will pay only R1.50/km‚ instead of the initially-proposed R2.97." E-tagged motorcyclists will pay 18c/km.

Earlier‚ AfriForum said its staff would not register for e-tags and urged Gauteng residents to do the same.

"Personnel and representatives of the organisation will not register for the proposed e-toll system‚ and the civil rights organisation encourages the public to do the same‚" AfriForum deputy chief executive Ernst Roets said in a statement.

"Sanral will be forced to rethink the cost-effectiveness of the e-toll system if enough motorists refused to register for it‚" he said.

In April last year‚ the High Court in Pretoria granted the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa) an interdict approving a full judicial review before electronic tolling could be put into effect.

The interdict prevented Sanral from levying or collecting e-tolls pending the outcome of a review. Sanral and the National Treasury appealed against the court order and in September‚ the Constitutional Court set aside the interim order.

In December the High Court in Pretoria dismissed Outa's application to scrap e-tolling.

On 25 January this year‚ the court granted Outa leave to take the matter to the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) in Bloemfontein. The SCA hearing will take place in September.

Source: Sapa via I-Net Bridge