{"id":39418,"date":"2013-06-05T14:49:12","date_gmt":"2013-06-05T12:49:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=39418"},"modified":"2013-06-06T09:28:47","modified_gmt":"2013-06-06T07:28:47","slug":"sanral-used-public-money-for-award-da","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/trending\/39418\/sanral-used-public-money-for-award-da\/","title":{"rendered":"Sanral used public money for award: DA"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ian Ollis<\/a>, the DA<\/a> shadow minister of transport has accused the SA National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral<\/a>)\u00a0of using public funds in order to enter a competition and legitimise its building of e-tolls in South Africa.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sanral said on Tuesday (4 June) that its e-tolling system has won an international technology award.<\/p>\n

It was awarded the 2013 Toll Excellence Award by the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA), even though e-tolling was not yet operating as anticipated on Gauteng highways.<\/p>\n

The DA\u2019s Ollis said that the award can only be granted to members of IBTTA, and that annual membership is up to R110,000 ($11,580). \u201cThis is money which must have been paid with public funds,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Ollis also noted that IBTTA is a small group of toll-road endorsing companies, which openly encourage the building of toll-roads. \u201cTheir whole point of existence is to praise toll roads, not to help find alternative solutions which help poor people.\u201d<\/p>\n

The DA accused Sanral of nominating itself after joining and using public money to become members, \u201cin order to try and [legitimise] their building of e-tolls in South Africa\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor this then to be used as support for the building of toll roads, is just plain ludicrous. It is nothing more than a pathetic attempt to try and find good reasons for toll-roads in South Africa when none exist,\u201d Ollis said.<\/p>\n

If anything, the DA said it has completely backfired on Sanral, \u201cbecause receiving an award for e-tolling from a group whose major aim is to promote e-tolls is laughable at best\u201d.<\/p>\n

The opposition party said it will be submitting parliamentary questions to the Minister of Transport, Ben Martins, who needs to account to parliament as to:<\/p>\n