WAYNE DUVENAGE, CEO OF OUTA
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Anti-e-tolling civil action group Outa says that the Austrian Electronic Tolling Company’s (ETC) proposal for a debt write-off in exchange for motorists paying their e-tolls over the next five years is delusional and desperate.
ETC published a statement this week in which it suggested ways in which Gauteng motorists could be enticed to finally adopt the failed e-tolling system, as debt continues to balloon as a result of noncompliance.
One of the proposals ETC offered is a five-year debt forgiveness plan, whereby motorists could have 20% of their standing e-toll debts written off for each year of full compliance.
However, Outa called the proposal a delusional and desperate attempt by ETC to keep its business interest alive in South Africa.
The group also noted that Sanral has tried to entice road users onto the scheme in the past, and failed dismally.
“In 2015/16, Sanral offered a 60% discount along with a payment plan to those who had defaulted during the first two years of operation, which had the impact of raising less than 2% of the outstanding e-toll debt and a continued decline in the compliance levels thereafter,” said Outa head Wayne Duvenage. “What ETC fails to comprehend is that the scheme is unfit for the purpose of settling the GFIP bonds for a number of reasons, the most significant of which is that they have lost the support of the people.”
Growing debt
Debt attached to Gauteng’s e-tolling system has risen to over R47 billion, leaving the national government in a difficult position that is at odds with the political will to have the entire system scrapped.
Gauteng Premier David Makhura has made it clear that the provincial government’s position on e-tolling is that it should be scrapped – however, the finance ministry has opposed this, saying the user-pays principle inherent to the toll scheme is the fairest way to pay off the debts.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has stepped in on the matter, directing Transport minister Fikile Mbalula to find a solution t
ETC published a statement this week in which it suggested ways in which Gauteng motorists could be enticed to finally adopt the failed e-tolling system, as debt continues to balloon as a result of noncompliance.
One of the proposals ETC offered is a five-year debt forgiveness plan, whereby motorists could have 20% of their standing e-toll debts written off for each year of full compliance.
However, Outa called the proposal a delusional and desperate attempt by ETC to keep its business interest alive in South Africa.
The group also noted that Sanral has tried to entice road users onto the scheme in the past, and failed dismally.
“In 2015/16, Sanral offered a 60% discount along with a payment plan to those who had defaulted during the first two years of operation, which had the impact of raising less than 2% of the outstanding e-toll debt and a continued decline in the compliance levels thereafter,” said Outa head Wayne Duvenage. “What ETC fails to comprehend is that the scheme is unfit for the purpose of settling the GFIP bonds for a number of reasons, the most significant of which is that they have lost the support of the people.”
Growing debt
Debt attached to Gauteng’s e-tolling system has risen to over R47 billion, leaving the national government in a difficult position that is at odds with the political will to have the entire system scrapped.
Gauteng Premier David Makhura has made it clear that the provincial government’s position on e-tolling is that it should be scrapped – however, the finance ministry has opposed this, saying the user-pays principle inherent to the toll scheme is the fairest way to pay off the debts.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has stepped in on the matter, directing Transport minister Fikile Mbalula to find a solution t
