Gauteng e-tolling won't begin in Feb: Sanral

South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) announced on Friday that e-tolling in Gauteng would not commence in February as initially planned.

The agency said it was exploring different modalities which would be presented to Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele, who would then present a report to the Cabinet.

The latest about-turn followed the board's meeting with Ndebele on Thursday (12 January 2012) during which Sanral's mandate, Gauteng e-tolling and future roads programmes were discussed.

The minister has previously requested the agency to resolve the financing model regarding the cost of the controversial Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project phase 1 (GFIP) amounting to R20 billion.

The Congress of SA Trade Unions was mobilising its members for mass action next month against the implementation of the project.

Amid the public furore, the department halted any future planned tolling of roads in the country, including the planned phase 2 of GFIP, Cape Winelands and the Wild Coast.

Cabinet approved GFIP 1 in August last year, with light motor vehicles and class A2 expected to pay tariffs of 40 cents per kilometre, while medium vehicles, class B, would be R1 per kilometre. Longer vehicles, class C, would be charged R2 per kilometre.