Johannesburg - The Gauteng provincial transport department says it will maintain roads that can serve as an alternative to e-toll routes.
It said on Thursday that this would be done to prevent such roads from being degraded by over-use."The department... will maintain the alternative provincial routes to an acceptable and safe level on an ongoing basis to obviate concerns that the secondary road network will be degraded through the anticipated increase in traffic volumes on these routes."
It launched a campaign on Thursday to make motorists aware of roads that could serve as alternatives to tolled routes.
Transport MEC Ismail Vadi said this was being done for motorists who could not afford e-tags.
Vadi said: "The department is launching its campaign to popularise the alternative no-toll routes... so that the public can exercise a degree of choice when using the provincial road network."
Vadi said the alternative routes included the R55 between Pretoria and Sandton and the N14 between Pretoria and Krugersdorp.
There were also the M1-R82 between Johannesburg and Vereeniging, the R103 between Johannesburg and Heidelberg as well as the M57 between Pretoria and Kempton Park.
Transport Minister Dipuo Peters announced last week that the e-tolling of Gauteng highways would come into effect on 3 December.
The move has sparked widespread opposition, with trade unions, and political parties vowing to explore all possible avenues to resist e-tolling.