Road users in Limpopo and all provinces with toll roads have a direct interest in the outcome of the Gauteng eToll judicial review that starts on 26 November.

It was recently reported that the South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) intends to apply the contentious Gauteng eToll model to all toll roads in the country eventually .

The conclusion of the third and final eToll public information session on eToll tariffs and exemptions, hosted by SANRAL and the Department of Transport (DoT) in Sunninghill at the end of last week, delivered a clear and unambiguous rejection by the public of eTolls. The Opposition To Urban Tolling Alliance (OUTA) chairperson Wayne Duvenage says in a press release that last week’s hearings had clearly vindicated the long-held view that no proper consultation process had ever been undertaken.

“Clearly SANRAL’s initial public engagement process in 2007, which consisted of one advert placed in six newspapers and which elicited 28 responses from the public, was inadequate. If this was SANRAL’s view of constructive public engagement, they failed dismally,” says Duvenhage.

Responding to COSATU’s call for a legal and organised strike action on 30 November, Duvenage said that “the protest was likely to draw thousands of Gauteng residents who previously would never contemplate such public protest but are now fired up and brimming with frustration to seize this opportunity to send a message to the authorities on this highly emotive matter.”

Some of the key e-Toll themes that consistently emerged from the public this week were that no proper consultation has ever taken place; a lack of transparency of information (in regard to project costs, revenues, contracts, tolling models); no communication of the financial model to explain why eTolling is better for society than the Fuel Levy; safe, reliable, efficient and affordable alternative public transport is sorely lacking in Gauteng and must first be in place; alternative roads are often either in much need of repair or not practical; tariff caps and exemptions defeat the purpose of user pay in contrast to the Fuel Levy which is pure user pay; the poor (not yet defined by SANRAL) will not be protected; government has an obligation to build roads for its people; and the citizens do not trust SANRAL and government.

"Last week’s public information session was also very unclear regarding the enforcement procedures for those who do not pay the proposed eToll tariffs. When queried about how the debt collection of unpaid eTolls would be managed, within an already severely stretched and backlogged judicial system, and then integrated into either the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) or Criminal Procedures Act (CPA), SANRAL responded vaguely, leaving one with an impression that this is clearly an area they are ‘looking into’."

“OUTA looks forward to the start of the eToll judicial review on 26 November and encourages the public to continue making eToll submissions to ensure their voice is heard. Further details on the pending judicial review and how to contribute to OUTA’s legal costs are available at www.outa.co.za,” says Duvenhage.