Johannesburg - The about turn by the SA National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) and the department of transport to make representations to the Gauteng provincial government e-toll review panel after all, was welcomed by the Opposition To Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa) on Monday.
"We hope that, besides engaging with the panel, Sanral will now also begin to participate in live panel discussions by explaining the many matters and questions which it constantly ignores. This behaviour simply raises the level of mistrust in their actions," Outa said in a statement.
"Of serious concern is the lack of verification of the 8.4:1 benefit to cost ratio that Sanral relied so heavily on in its motivation for the scheme. Two years have passed since the road upgrade has been completed to test their claims, yet to date nothing along these lines has been forthcoming."
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Outa is also concerned about what it calls "the numerous false statements, fabrications and evasiveness that have discredited Sanral".
Yet, Outa says it does not want to see the demise of Sanral.
"We believe the e-toll debacle is a classic case of someone who has held power for too long, has become vulnerable to losing touch with reality and failed to listen to its customer’s expectations," said Outa spokesperson John Clarke.
"As with any organisation, pressure will mount on all stakeholders, both internal and external, when the organisational leadership fails to be inclusive or lacks the necessary transparency required through open debate on such important matters.”
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In Outa’s submission to the review panel it identified three issues of concern, namely information ethics, an odius debt and the question of legitimacy.
"These issues need to be addressed by government and we believe the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport has been remiss in its duties to invite Outa to present these concerns to its members," said Outa.
“We believe the injustices of Sanral’s imposition of e-tolling are very relevant and that, while Sanral may try to influence the panel’s perceptions about the e-toll decision, the system has been implemented for almost one year and has grossly failed to achieve its objectives as an efficient funding mechanism,” said Outa chairperson Wayne Duvenage.
“This is the reality which the authorities need to critically interrogate and identify the real issues that have caused its failure. Sanral’s critics most certainly cannot be blamed for its failure”.
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- Fin24