PHUTI MOSOMANE
GAUTENG premier Panyaza Lesufi announced during his maiden State of the Province Address that the controversial e-tolls have been permanently scrapped.
Government, along with the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL), introduced the e-toll system to fix and construct the Gauteng freeway network in time for the 2010 FIFA World Cup without consulting South Africans.
“Residents of Gauteng, we are pleased to report that e-Tolls have been scrapped,” he said on Monday during his address.
Lesufi said together with the Ministries of Finance and Transport, a joint public announcement will be made in this regards.
“Together with national government we are on the verge of agreeing on all matters that will finally allow us to gazette switching off the gantries. Matters related to debt repayment and the money collected from paying customers and as well as funds not collected from non-paying customers,” he said.
Last year November it was announced that the total amount to be paid by the provincial government is R12,9 billion (30% of R43 billion) using different revenue streams in the form of a hybrid model.
This is the debt accumulated by the SANRAL in the construction of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project.
As part of the provincial road and transport strategy, Lesufi announced on Monday night that over the past few months, the provincial government has engaged with municipalities and all, with the exception of Tshwane and Joburg, have agreed to partner with government through a Memorandum of Understanding to take over the leading role in making sure that tarring dusty streets in the townships is a priority.
“As the generation that grew up in the dusty streets of our townships, we cannot let our next generation choke on the same unpaved streets due to continued failure of Government to catalyze development,” he said.
The Naledi-to-Park Station, Mabopane- and Saulsville-to-Pretoria train lines are also back in operation, Lesufi announced.
“We are working with PRASA to speed up the opening of the additional lines, such as the Vereniging and the Germiston train lines,” Lesufi said, adding that he is in discussions with the Limpopo Provincial Government to formally start a process to link Gauteng and Limpopo through a new faster and efficient rail network.
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