20 May 2015
Fin24 user Menzi writes: Why are they refusing to listen to the people? Co-operative governance is a myth. What about suggested alternatives like the fuel levy. These would be a lot easier to digest than this monstrosity they are trying to shove down our throats.
20 May 2015
Fin24 user Daniel writes: Is it not illegal to hold back your license disc? If they do, then it would be illegal to drive your car.
How would one get to work then?
Fin24 user Lloyd writes: License fees - what do they do? Are we not paying for those roads?Traffic fines? Petrol levy? The R36 on the vehicle license disk that increased from R30 to R36 without notification? Come next elections you are out!
20 May 2015
Fin24 user Thabo: Electricity is going
up, tax has gone up, the petrol price is going up. Where must we get money to
pay for all these things? When is Zuma going to pay for Nkandla?
20 May 2015
DA:
Between E-tolls and load-shedding the ANC have created a
potent job-killing recipe for Gauteng. South Africans must continue to stand up against this
unjust system.
The DA have shown where we govern how E-tolls can be defeated.
Through court action, the City of Cape Town is steadily beating back Sanral’s
plans to roll out E-tolls in the city.
20 May 2015
DA:
If the revenue shortfall cannot be closed by payments by
users, the Gauteng Province and the National Government will be expected to
fund the gap. This is money that could have been used for service delivery.
20 May 2015
DA:
To make up the shortfall, Sanral are relying on “key
account holders” to pay E-tolls. This means that small businesses, grocery
stores, and the service industry are propping up E-tolls. The burden of E-toll
payments for businesses is being passed on to all residents through higher
prices for everything from food to clothing.
20 May 2015
DA response to e-toll decision:
This is despite clear evidence that the E-tolls system is
collapsing. E-toll payments have dropped from R120m in June 2014, to R45m in January 2015. This while SANRAL’s monthly cost recovery targets have
risen from R108m to R204m over the same period.
20 May 2015
In a statement to the media the DA said:
"Today’s announcement shows how the E-tolls Advisory Panel
was a betrayal of the people of Gauteng. The people said scrap E-tolls, but the
ANC has said E-tolls are here to stay".
20 May 2015
The Congress of the People (Cope) said it maintained all
along that e-tolls were too high, too unaffordable and too much of a strain on
businesses and the Gauteng economy.
The fact that government has now been able to slash the
tariff by almost 50% and totally exempt all Public Transport vehicles from
tolling, indicates that the public was right all along about someone somewhere
creaming huge profits from e-tolling.
The fact that e-tolling will now be capped at R225 once
again indicates that Sanral was being punitive in setting the cap originally at
R450.
20 May 2015
Gauteng Premier David Makhura discusses e-toll announcement:
20 May 2015
Fin24 user Alfred: Why must we pay if we are already paying for it in taxes, car license fees and the fuel levy?
20 May 2015
Fin24 user Theo: "Unless there is an alternative, and safe public transport system, we as public feel blackmailed to support e-tolls. What are the future plans for systems like the Gautrain expansion? Will e-toll collection only be used on roads, or will it fund further expansion of the Gautrain?
20 May 2015
Fin24 user Andrew: "I am still not going to pay. I guess there is going to be a tonne of unregistered vehicles on the roads. I guess corruption still reigns."
20 May 2015
Fin24 user Marius: "They say all users are liable to pay – what about taxis and buses? [Editor's note: public transport vehicles are exempt from e-tolls]. What would happen if you want to renew your license, but another vehicle has used a cloned license plate with your registration number? (This concern was raised by Outa chair Wayne Duvenage as well.)"
20 May 2015
Fin24 user Cobus: "What happens to all an sundry who obeyed the law and paid full rates up to now?"
20 May 2015
Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene explains how Treasury will subsidise Sanral's e-toll programme. Fin24's Matthew le Cordeur reports ....
20 May 2015
Readers react to e-toll announcement
Fin24 user Carisa: "Will registered users receive 60% back in fees already paid?"
20 May 2015
Readers react to e-toll announcement
Fin24 user Akash says: Cant we start fresh, instead of having to owe what was already used? Deputy President Ramaphosa mentioned something like: This new dispensation is an opportunity for a fresh start. We call on all stakeholders to work with us to create an integrated, reliable and affordable transport system for the country as a whole. Government is alive to the needs of our people. Together we can move SA forward as we are doing.
20 May 2015
Outa chairperson Wayne Duvenage told Fin24 "unless they [ANC] sort this out and take this burden off the Gauteng residents, it’s going to hurt them in those local elections [in 2016]."
20 May 2015
Fin24 user Cameron: What legislation allows for the
withholding of license documents before a 3rd party debt is settled?
20 May 2015
Fin24 users Duncan and Andrew: Where is the fuel levy?
20 May 2015
Fin24 user Ephraim writes: Will those who were faithful in
paying their e-tolls account be refunded something?
20 May 2015
Fin24 user James writes: Are the tariffs going to increase
every three months or six months or a year and for how much?
20 May 2015
Fin24 user Hassen writes: We need clarity on non-frequent
users. The entry at first toll to the next toll. How does the 30 entry
requirement works? Do previous accounts need to be paid?
20 May 2015
Fin24 user Henry writes: Has the law changed so that Sanral
and the Gauteng Government can refuse to issue a new licence disk before all
outstanding toll fees are paid?
I thought that the law required a summons to
appear in court for an unpaid fine had to be delivered to your place of
residence or work and that you had to be found guilty of the alleged
offence in a court of law if you did not pay, before any further action could
be taken against you.
20 May 2015
Wayne Duvenage of Outa on ENCA: We just want the most just
system for society. The fuel levy has gone up by billions per annum and so
Gauteng has paid for these roads quite frankly... E-tolls will fail in SA.
20 May 2015
Wayne Duvenage of Outa on ENCA: False number plates in
Gauteng have shot up. Enforcement is a problem. Members of society are going to
"play the game". I don't think the authorities have thought it
through when they have now liked the toll tariffs to licence renewals. I think
there will be some legal issues about this too.
20 May 2015
Wayne Duvenage of Outa on ENCA: We will continue to do what
we have been doing for the last number of years. And we think people will
continue to defy the system.
20 May 2015
Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa) chair Wayne Duvenage: We can't see that the new e-tolls tariffs will
change the system and it will continued to be defied by the public.
20 May 2015
Reuters: SA government says it
will cut road toll charges on urban highways in Johannesburg by 50% following more than a year of public pressure and
protests.
20 May 2015
Wayne Duvenage of Outa: Big debt of overcharge on freeways
has not been addressed.
20 May 2015
Parliamentary briefing ends...
20 May 2015
Gauteng premier David Makhura:
All the points of payment will have a cost built into it,
that is nothing unusual
20 May 2015
Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene: National and provincial
legislature will share the shortfall caused by the reduction of the e-toll
tariffs.
20 May 2015
Transport Minister Dipuo Peters: We decided the best option
to take was to make this one of the traffic infringements that can be covered
under AARTO.
20 May 2015
Transport Minister Dipuo Peters: R197bn needed for SA roads.
20 May 2015
Ramaphosa: We ask that people go and update their records at
the various facilities. This is a a reliable and affordable system to make it a
lot easier for our people.
20 May 2015
Ramaphosa: Linking the toll fees to the vehicle licence is
to bring about ease of payment and ease of administration for one stop to
effect payment.
20 May 2015
Ramaphosa: We hope people will see this new dispensation as
a positive step and Sanral will be able to go out and raise money.
20 May 2015
Ramaphosa: Do we have the buy in of various other components
of our people and Cosatu? The ruling party has been at work consulting and
talking to a number of formations about this. It was not a political football
but a matter that was of great concern to our people and today it addresses the
concerns raised by our people.