New proposals by the task team set up by president Cyril Ramaphosa on e-tolls includes motorists paying 10 cents to pass under each gantry – up to a maximum of R100 a month, according to a report in the City Press.<\/p>\n
Documents obtained by the City Press outline the task team\u2019s suggestions, which include a discount of 70% of the current fees for Gauteng\u2019s e-tolls \u2013 or scrapping the unpopular toll completely.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe likelihood is that tolls will be kept at reduced fees, possibly maximum R100 per user per month or just 10c per gantry pass,\u201d a source told the City Press.<\/p>\n
The president had given the Department of Transport, roads agency Sanral, the Gauteng provincial government and Treasury until the end of August to come up with a solution.<\/p>\n
The task team has however, reportedly been unable to find common ground on a solution, and will present all available options to Cabinet.<\/p>\n
Transport minister Fikile Mbalula met with the Automobile Association (AA) and the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) as part of efforts to find a solution to e-tolls, which has been largely rejected by the province’s road users.<\/p>\n
The Automobile Association of South Africa (AA) has warned that the current model for the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP) has failed and will continue to do so if pursued.<\/p>\n
A recent report<\/a> <\/strong>by the group found that most e-toll road users are not paying because of a principled position taken years ago and that no amount of cajoling or enticement will change their minds.<\/p>\n Outa has also called for the system to be scrapped, noting that compliance by motorists has dropped from the scheme\u2019s highest point of 40% in June 2014 to around 20%, bringing in just R55 million a month.<\/p>\n This has resulted in a shortfall of almost R250 million per month.<\/p>\n A statement put out by the Department of Transport on Saturday, noted that the e-tolls consultation period has been extended.<\/p>\n “The stakeholder engagement process is a genuine consultation process that seeks to balance the views that have been punted in public discourse in a meaningful way…<\/p>\n “We are on track and remain firmly committed to finalising this process in the next two weeks,” said minister Mbalula.<\/p>\n On eTOLLS: The stakeholder engagement process is a genuine consultation process that seeks to balance the views that have been punted in public discourse in a meaningful way…<\/p>\n We are on track and remain firmly committed to finalising this process in the next two weeks. https:\/\/t.co\/xFnleqIHZ0<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Minister of Transport |Mr Fix 100days (@MbalulaFikile) August 31, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n