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Ndebele pledges more talks on tolls

Johannesburg - Transport Minister Sbu Ndebele said on Monday that there will be further "engagement" on the tolling system to be levied on Gauteng highways.

"A summit will be held in March about the tolling system. There will be further engagement, not just with taxi operators (but) with all South Africans," Ndebele said.

"We need good roads throughout the country, but we have to come with a way to finance that without placing a burden on taxi operators. Everyone will be invited to the summit."

Taxi owners have complained that they will have to raise fares to be able to afford to pay the new tolls.

Last week, the SA National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) announced the tariffs for the 185km Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project.

Sanral CEO Nazir Alli said motorists who purchased the e-tag system would pay 49.5 cents a kilometre.

Medium-sized vehicles with the e-tag would be charged R1.49/km and heavy-duty vehicles with an e-tag R2.97/km.

Motorists would get further discounts depending when they usd the highway and whether they were frequent users.

The DA has criticised the new tolling system as being far too complex to enforce.

"Taxes are meant to be transparent and simple to understand, and a toll is just another tax. This one however is so complicated that mistakes are bound to creep in," DA Gauteng transport spokesperson Neil Campbell said on Monday.

The Freedom Front Plus accused Sanral of being "dishonest" with the public about the tariffs.

At first it had said that the cost would be 50 cents/km, but eventually announced a cost of 66c/km.

"The Gauteng open tollgate tariff system is nothing other than an added tax," FF Plus parliamentary spokesperson Anton Alberts said.

He said the taxes on petrol should be used to cover the costs of road maintenance and upgrading.

Ndebele handed the BRT Rea Vaya Phase 1A bus operating company to taxi industry shareholders.

"Today we celebrate a major milestone in the life of the taxi industry and of our country," Ndebele said.

"We reaffirm that this important industry, which is owned, managed and controlled by black entrepreneurs, will no longer primarily be defined by violence and disorder," he said.

Former taxi owners received 66.7% of the shares in the company, which owns buses and bus stations across Johannesburg. The remaining 33.3% is owned by the City of Johannesburg and other companies.

Ndebele said the company has a turnover of R174m a year, from which the new owners would benefit.

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