Outstanding e-toll fees will be linked to the license renewal system, and\u00a0road users will have to settle their\u00a0bills with Sanral before new license discs will be issued.<\/p>\n
This is according to\u00a0Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, who announced massive e-toll discounts on 19 May<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Motorists will have to pay their outstanding e-tolls upon renewal of vehicle licences, said Ramaphosa, \u201ccreating a solid link between road users and the e-toll system\u201d.<\/p>\n All current outstanding e-toll bills will be discounted by 60%, with road users given six months to pay these off, he added.<\/p>\n The new discounts will apply whether motorists have an e-tag or not.<\/p>\n \u201cA fair dispensation is being put forward to ensure the e-toll system is affordable and sustainable,\u201d Ramaphosa said.<\/p>\n The fees would be \u201cdramatically reduced\u201d and public transport would remain exempt from paying, Ramaphosa said, announcing a new dispensation for the electronic tolling system, which was switched on at midnight on December 3 2013.<\/p>\n E-toll fees for light motor vehicles would be reduced from 58 cents per kilometre to 30c\/km. This would apply to motorists with and without an e-tag.<\/p>\n The monthly cap for light motor vehicles would be \u201cdramatically reduced\u201d from R450 a month to R225.<\/p>\n \u201cRevised caps will also be introduced to other categories of vehicles and what have you,” the deputy said.<\/p>\n Public transport would remain exempt from paying e-tolls. There would however be no change in fees for people who made less than 30 gantry passes a year.<\/p>\n The new dispensation would be implemented in phases. The new cap and revised tariffs would begin in the next two to three months. Those with outstanding e-toll fees would get a 60% discount.<\/p>\n Ramaphosa said the new fees were the result of talks between national government and Gauteng, and were approved by Cabinet.<\/p>\n In July last year, Gauteng premier David Makhura appointed a panel to review the impact of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP) and the e-toll system set up to fund it.<\/p>\n Following public consultations it was concluded that the system placed an unfair burden on low- and middle-income households.<\/p>\n The panel however found there was general acceptance of the user-pays principle, and that the GFIP and e-tolls had \u201chugely benefited\u201d Gauteng\u2019s economy and residents. The improved roads had reduced travel time, improved fuel efficiency, and cut down vehicle operating costs.<\/p>\n The implementation of the e-toll system followed months of court cases between the SA National Roads Agency Limited and the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance.<\/p>\n Reporting with news24Wire<\/p>\n E-toll tariffs halved<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n E-tolls essential for Joburg: premier<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nMore on e-tolls<\/h3>\n