Affordability and ease of use are the main concerns of the intergovernmental body established to decide the future of etolls, Gauteng Premier David Makhura said today during his State of the Province address, in which he reiterated claims that local government was listening to motorists on the issue.

The etolling system came under review last year, after the Premier set up an advisory panel to investigate the impact of etolls, and whether they are an appropriate way to pay for improvements to the national roads network.

The review panel reported in January, and recommended not scrapping etolls, but rather using a hybrid system of taxes to pay for the roads alongside etolls. One of the proposed hybrid methods of funding included a bizarre new tax on tyres.

“The panel makes it clear that in its current form, the system needs to be reviewed to address mainly affordability by low and middle income motorists and administrative simplicity, while the user pay principle is reaffirmed,” Makhura said.

Makhura added that the Provincial Government is looking into ways in which it can make the etolls more affordable. The consultation process, led by Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, has been tasked with finding the relevant solutions.

According to Makhura the primary concerns of the consultation process are making etolls more affordable for lower and middle income earners, and easier to pay for everyone else.

“I am confident that the new dispensation should provide major financial relief to motorists, while simplifying the payment system to make it easy for road users to pay,” Makhura said.

[Source – Gauteng government, Image – CC by 2.o/Axel Bührmann]