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Johannesburg - The comment from Imperial Holdings [JSE:IPL] that tolling in Gauteng was a necessary evil was condemned by the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) on Friday.
"These insinuations amount to spitting [in] the face of the working class and poor," Numsa spokesperson Castro Ngobese said in a statement.
"If truth be told, these insinuations should not be viewed as a surprise, since Imperial Holdings is a beneficiary through its subsidiary e-Logistics, which has developed a toll management solution, and had developed software for the gantries across highways and for the records kept by the SA National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral)," he said.
The industrial services group's CEO Hubert Brody had, according to the union, said: "It was the price that had to be paid and would be picked up by the economy... Pay-as-you-go is probably the most appropriate way and a necessary evil."
Ngobese said toll gates were against the objectives of the Freedom Charter, which guaranteed travel to those within South African towns and provinces without restrictions.
The project, like the Gautrain, had failed to address the challenges of space, accessibility and mobility for the common man, he said.
The Democratic Alliance on Friday voiced its concerns about the project's "clandestine" agreement between Sanral and the Gauteng roads and transport department.
"It is unacceptable that the motoring public is kept in the dark as to the actual costs of the highway upgrades," DA spokesperson Neil Campbell said.
"With government already wanting to take a 14% VAT cut on the 66 cents a kilometre toll fee, it now seems that 30 cents a kilometre was earmarked for the Gauteng coffers," he said.
Campbell said Sanral would end up with only slightly less than 30 cents a kilometre, once nine cents was deducted for VAT and 30 cents for the provincial roads and transport department.
"We need to understand that discounts are still applicable to this figure so the actual cost of the construction and maintenance of the Gauteng Highway improvement is probably in the ballpark of 25 to 27 cents per kilometre," he said.
Campbell demanded a full disclosure of toll costs from Transport Minister Sbu Ndebele, failing which "action would be taken by the public".
"These insinuations amount to spitting [in] the face of the working class and poor," Numsa spokesperson Castro Ngobese said in a statement.
"If truth be told, these insinuations should not be viewed as a surprise, since Imperial Holdings is a beneficiary through its subsidiary e-Logistics, which has developed a toll management solution, and had developed software for the gantries across highways and for the records kept by the SA National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral)," he said.
The industrial services group's CEO Hubert Brody had, according to the union, said: "It was the price that had to be paid and would be picked up by the economy... Pay-as-you-go is probably the most appropriate way and a necessary evil."
Ngobese said toll gates were against the objectives of the Freedom Charter, which guaranteed travel to those within South African towns and provinces without restrictions.
The project, like the Gautrain, had failed to address the challenges of space, accessibility and mobility for the common man, he said.
The Democratic Alliance on Friday voiced its concerns about the project's "clandestine" agreement between Sanral and the Gauteng roads and transport department.
"It is unacceptable that the motoring public is kept in the dark as to the actual costs of the highway upgrades," DA spokesperson Neil Campbell said.
"With government already wanting to take a 14% VAT cut on the 66 cents a kilometre toll fee, it now seems that 30 cents a kilometre was earmarked for the Gauteng coffers," he said.
Campbell said Sanral would end up with only slightly less than 30 cents a kilometre, once nine cents was deducted for VAT and 30 cents for the provincial roads and transport department.
"We need to understand that discounts are still applicable to this figure so the actual cost of the construction and maintenance of the Gauteng Highway improvement is probably in the ballpark of 25 to 27 cents per kilometre," he said.
Campbell demanded a full disclosure of toll costs from Transport Minister Sbu Ndebele, failing which "action would be taken by the public".
