ETOLLS: TIME TO GET
INVOLVED SA!
SCRAP ETOLLS NOW - URGE GOVERNMENT TO INCLUDE CIVIL SOCIETY
OUTA calls on YOU to support its views and solution to end
e-tolls.
During the President's State of the Nation Address on 20 June 2019, Cyril Ramaphosa encouraged civil society to hold Government accountable and to join them in finding practical actions to attain the country's goals. Following the recent social media conflict between the Minister of Finance (Tito Mboweni) and the Gauteng Premier (David Makhura), the President has called on them to find a solution (through the Minister of Transport - Filike Mbalula) to the e-Toll debacle. His call however appears to have ignored the inclusion of civil society in being part of this effort.
Organised civil society and the Gauteng motorists have demonstrated their opinion of the eToll scheme, through a collective and effective action of non-compliance, due to the scheme’s irrationality, high costs and alleged unlawful conduct by Government. Without civil society’s participation, the solution or way forward on eTolls will be incomplete.
Following several years of litigation, research and coordination, OUTA, along with its supporters have compiled significant evidence and input that will be valuable to a solution on this matter.
OUTA’s ABRIDGED PROPOSED SOLUTION
The Election Tolling Collection (ETC) five-year contract period has expired and Government has the ability to terminate the e-toll scheme, which was contracted to cost the people an absurd amount of R1.6-billion a year for the scheme’s administration.
For decades, SANRAL has been managing and financing the building, upgrading and maintaining its non-tolled road portfolio from Treasury allocations. It is also important to know that Treasury’s coffers receive over R70bn per annum from motorists through the fuel levy. Prior to the irrational eToll decision, the maintenance and upgrading the 186km Gauteng freeway network was done through allocations from Treasury and this is the methodology that our authorities should have (and can still) adopt, to finance the GFIP bonds.
Treasury’s ability to find R23-billion a year to attend to Eskom’s financial woes has given the public every confidence in its ability to find around 10% of that, to enable the financing of the freeway upgrade of South Africa’s economic hub.
THERE IS NO NEED FOR THE COSTLY & INEFFICIENT E-TOLL SCHEME!
IF YOU SHARE IN OUTA’s VIEWS AND SOLUTIONS, PLEASE JOIN US IN DRIVING DRIVE THE PUBLIC MESSAGE ON E-TOLLS TO GOVERNMENT
Get Your Voice Heard and Sign Below to help us urge government to include civil society in finding a solution to the end of e-tolls.