The e-toll system was meant to be scrapped on 31 December 2022, but the Gauteng government says this has been delayed into the new year.
Following Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana’s announcement on 26 October 2022of a new financing mechanism for the Gauteng freeway upgrade debt to replace the failed e-toll scheme, Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi indicated that e-tolls would soon be scrapped as soon as Gautneg reached an agreement with National Treasury.
“There is a process that needs to be followed by the government, so the technical team led by our director-general will assist us. As indicated by National Treasury, we have until December 31 to conclude that task,” Lesufi said in November.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the provincial government explained that an agreement with National Treasury had not yet been concluded to support the deactivation of e-tolls.
“…31 December 2022 was pencilled as the day to deactivate e-tolls billing system. However, due to the need to finalise key components of the MOU (memorandum of understanding) between the national government and the provincial government, the matter will be finalised in the new year (2023),” the statement reads.
Civil action group Outa said it was not surprised by the delay.
“Over the past few years, the authorities have indicated several dates and deadlines for the defunct scheme to be scrapped and missed them all,” it said.
Scrapping e-tolls requires formally declaring that the Gauteng freeway network roads are no longer toll roads through a gazetted notice to be issued by the Department of Transport.
This essentially means until the MOU between the province and the national government has been concluded, the gazette will not be published, and Sanral will continue to charge e-tolls.
The Gauteng government gave assurance that the billing system would be deactivated eventually.
Source: Business Tech, News24, image from Twitter: @OUTASA
