Satawu 'vindicated' by revised Gauteng toll fees

The South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) says it has been vindicated by the transport department's announcement that it has reduced the proposed toll fees in Gauteng.

4 Jul 2011

The Gauteng freeway improvement project on Thursday, 30 June 2011, proposed recommendations to reduce the toll tariffs in the province following extensive consultations.

The project recommended tariffs of 40c/km for light vehicles and 11c/km for commuter taxis carrying an e-tag - an electronic tolling device that would be fitted on the front windscreen of a vehicle - while light vehicles without an e-tag would have to pay 58c/km under the recommendations.

The union said the department's director-general George Mahlalela's statement confirmed its view that the toll system would have a negative effect on the poor, the economy and alternative routes.

"Satawu views this as a skewed approach in addressing the challenges around the transport infrastructure. In our view, the system will move traffic congestion from highways to municipal roads, many of which are already in a bad state. This may result in municipalities increasing other tariffs in order to get funding to maintain municipal road infrastructure," the union said.