E-tolls – another missed opportunity says Automobile Association

The Automobile Association (AA) says that transport minister Fikile Mbalula has failed to address many workable solutions in his Department’s 2021/2022 Budget Speech last week, which will have an immediate impact on road safety, while necessary details are excluded including e-tolls.

The AA said that some plans to improve road safety and road infrastructure in South Africa, announced by the minister are to be welcomed.

It said that targets to reduce road deaths in South Africa by 25% by 2024 will not be met within the current framework, however. It said it is concerned that recommendations by the ministerially appointed Traffic Law Enforcement Review Committee (TLERC) are not mentioned anywhere in the minister’s speech.

“When the recommendations by the TLERC were released in 2019 we noted that a failure to implement them would amount to a serious dereliction of duty by government. Increasing the working hours of traffic law enforcers, and introducing body cameras for them to wear, will alone not solve our country’s road safety crisis.

“Much, much more needs to be done, and a blueprint for better traffic law enforcement is on the table. We have to question why it has not received more attention by the Department of Transport or the Minister,” said the AA.

In addition, the association said it remains concerned that the internationally accepted – and proven – Safe Systems Approach to road safety, which addresses safer vehicles, safer drivers, better roads, and better post-crash intervention, is not considered as part of efforts to bring down road crashes and deaths in South Africa, one of the countries with the highest per capita road deaths in the world.

“We currently have a situation where government is introducing new laws, or amending existing laws, believing legislation will somehow improve the country’s road safety crisis. Insufficient emphasis is given to underlying problems such as implementation, education, and systems.

“Unless these factors are contemplated as the first step in solving the road safety crisis nothing will change and any targets will, sadly, remain unachievable,” the AA stressed.

It said that ongoing, nationwide, intensive road safety education is needed from pre-primary school level through to high school and should be complemented by year-round road safety campaigns and on-the-road programmes.

“Road safety is not something that must only happen during festive periods. If we are serious about road safety – and we all should be – then much more must be done urgently.”

E-tolls

On the issue of e-tolls, the AA said the fact that minister Mbalula missed yet another deadline to address the future of the system in Gauteng is dismaying, casting even more doubt among motorists on the way forward for this system.

“In March we noted that the numerous delays in pronouncing on the future of e-tolls are causing uncertainty and will, effectively, scupper any plans to continue with the system in its current format. The public has been assured time and again that an announcement on e-tolls will be made, only to be disappointed when each deadline passes without a word from government.”

The association again referred to its Road Funding Report of 2019 which clearly shows that Gauteng motorists have no intention of ever paying for tolls. Nothing has changed, it said.

“We stand by our earlier comments that government must be bold in taking a firm decision to terminate e-tolls with immediate effect, cancel any outstanding debt, reimburse those who have paid, and fund e-tolls through a (nominal) tax on fuel. Gauteng motorists have been patient, and it’s unfair to keep them guessing for much longer,” it said.

Mbalula said at the start of May that a final decision on the future of Gauteng’s controversial e-toll system would likely be made within a fortnight.

Presenting to the National Council of Provinces on Thursday (6 May), Mbalula said that the decision was still awaiting final approval by the cabinet.

“On the matter of the e-tolls, we are engaging with the (National) Treasury and we are at the end of our processes. The decision is on the table and we expect that in the next two weeks we should be back to cabinet.

“Before we table our budget vote speech, we should go back to you (the NCOP) and to the public to announce the cabinet’s decision on e-tolls.”

Read: South Africa’s e-toll saga is finally coming to an end – one way or another