Solly Msimanga conducts an oversight at one of Gauteng’s e-tolls. (Supplied)
Solly Msimanga conducts an oversight at one of Gauteng’s e-tolls. (Supplied)
The much-maligned e-tolls that govern some of South Africa’s biggest freeways are usually at the centre of heated discussions, but that has somewhat intensified over the last few weeks.
The Organisation for Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) called upon motorists to “completely ditch” the payments, rallying against Sanral’s calls to punish motorists who don’t play by the rules.
During Wednesday’s Mid-Term budget speech, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni also stated that it was time motorists were fully compliant with the system:
“If we want a road transport infrastructure that works, we need to pay our tolls. The government remains committed to the user pay principle because it is the most efficient and effective way to ensure that the direct benefits of services are paid for by those who use them.”
However, this is certainly not the view held by the Democratic Alliance. Solly Msimanga, the Tshwane mayor and Gauteng premier candidate, went on the war-path with Sanral after conducting an oversight at a local e-toll facility. Msimanga has labelled the system as being “bad for business”.
“The President should rather be announcing the scrapping of e-tolls and alternative plans of funding Gauteng roads. Sanral is now issuing summonses for non-payment of e-tolls to overburdened companies and motorists. This has a negative impact on businesses that are surviving during this recession.”
“E-tolls are an excessive and unnecessary burden on Gauteng residents who are struggling to survive due to inflation and the rise in petrol prices. The E-tolls also have cost implications on goods such as groceries which pass through Gauteng, meaning that it affects all South Africans.”
Msimanga also rolled out some pretty damning facts, figures and statistics regarding e-tolls during his address on Wednesday. He highlighted that just 7% of all funds raised via this payment system actually gets put back into Gauteng’s road infrastructure, before revealing some meatier details.
E-tolls in numbers: What it’s costing Sanral
(All numbers provided by Solly Msimanga and the Democratic Alliance)
R11 billion
That’s how much motorists are said to owe Sanral, as a result of non-payment. It’s estimated that a whopping 70% of drivers refuse to pay the e-toll fees.
R10 billion
For the 2016/17 financial year, this is how much irregular expenditure was racked up by Sanral. Taxpayer money was also squandered in “fruitless” expenditure, to the tune of R15 million.
R2.1 billion
This is the shortfall of what Sanral was expecting to rake in this year. Chasing an annual income of R3 billion, they are only projected to take in R900 million by the end of 2018.
R10.2 million
The amount that Sanral has managed to recover through legal processes in the last 24 months. Court action has cost the organisation over R4 million, making their R6 million profit look paltry in comparison to their shortfalls in turnover and earnings projections.
R2.2 million
That’s how many court summons Sanral would have to issue to bring every toll-defaulter “to justice”. Over the last two years, just 15 505 have been sent out. It’s a job that’s as good as impossible.
