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Johannesburg - The SA National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) welcomed the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance's (Outa) decision to abandon its legal battle against e-tolling, while urging motorists to obtain their e-tags.
"Sanity has prevailed," Sanral spokesperson Vusi Mona said in a statement on Friday.
"We trust people will respect the integrity of the judiciary and value its independence. We urge people to obtain their e-tags and register their vehicles in order to enjoy the discounts," he said.
Mona said the agency would focus its efforts on implementing open road tolling to ease congestion on freeways.
"It's time to move on and work together in improving our road infrastructure. We hope the likes of Outa will join us this national endeavour," Mona said.
Outa announced earlier in the day it did not have the money to continue the legal fight.
No need for e-tolls - BMFMeanwhile, the Black Management Forum said on Friday that there would be no need for e-tolls if Gauteng's financial resources to upgrade and maintain roads were properly managed.
"If you use the resources adequately you are able to upgrade those roads without having an increased burden on the road users and taxpayers," chairperson Modise Moiloanyane said in Johannesburg.
"The e-toll project will put further strain on consumers, because due to its multiplying effect it will contribute to the cost of living. Some of the multiplying factors will have an effect on the economy at large."
Moiloanyane said the provision of adequate public transport should have been a prerequisite for the implementation of the e-tolls so that consumers had an option of whether to use the roads.
Funding shortage
"Outa will not appeal against the judgment of the Supreme Court of Appeal. Outa is constrained by shortages of funds," its chairperson Wayne Duvenage told reporters in Johannesburg.
Duvenage said they should find other ways of fighting e-tolls.
"The SCA judgment neither addressed nor rules on the lawfulness of e-tolling as Outa's legal representatives argued that it should," said Duvenage.
Outa's argument remained that Sanral and the government did not have a proper public participation process.
