The DA has welcomed the cabinet’s decision to appoint a task team to look into the Gauteng tolling system. “This is a victory for the DA’s TollfreeGP anti-toll campaign,” the DA’s Gauteng leader Jack Bloom said yesterday.
The Transport Department announced on Saturday that a task team had been formed and would include, among others, Transport Minister S’bu Ndebele and Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan. Bloom said it was hoped that other members of the team would be representatives of business, labour and civil society.
“The DA suggests that this team reviews the R14 billion contract with the Electronic Toll Collection Consortium, which is utterly exorbitant.
“It is ridiculous to pay so much for a very complex toll system that will probably not work in South African conditions.” The “sensible” alternative was to fund the roads through a dedicated fuel levy or from general taxation. – Sapa