It has been revealed government can't yet enforce its plans to withhold vehicle licence discs because of outstanding e-tolls.
This after deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa announced in May that e-tolls would be linked to licence disc renewals, with motorists being given six months to pay all outstanding fees dating back to December 2013.
According to a statement by the Justice Project South Africa (JPSA), withholding the issue of licence discs on the basis of outstanding e-tolls will not be lawful for the immediately foreseeable future because the regulation proposing the link has not yet been finalised or opened to public comment.
The JPSA received a response to a letter to Phillip Magagane and John Motsatsing of the National Department of Transport confirming a regulation amendment was published in a Government Gazette in error on 17 July, before it had been finalised. Regulation 25 pertains to linking licence renewals to outstanding e-toll bills.
"On further consultation with Sanral, it was confirmed the 2015 regulations have not yet been published and are still being finalised. The department will do the necessary correction notice that excludes regulation 25 as contained in the regulation published for comments," says Motsatsing in his response to the JPSA.
"It is both appalling and alarming that such an 'error' should have crept into proposed amendments to legislation, particularly when such draconian measures as withholding licence discs is proposed," says JPSA chairperson Howard Dembovsky.
"One would hope that legislators would pay proper attention to detail and to abiding by legislative requirements and the Constitution," he adds.
The JPSA says it plans to vigorously oppose any future proposals by the Department of Transport that seek to withhold the issuing of licence discs due to unpaid e-toll bills.
Anti-e-tolls mayor
Meanwhile, the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa) says it is encouraged by a public statement by Johannesburg mayor Parks Tau which expressed his opposition to the tolling of Johannesburg's urban roads.
According to an SABC report, the mayor told the Nedbank-New Partnership for Africa's Development conference in Johannesburg that "we do not think it is appropriate to introduce an urban tolling system into an environment that has inadequate public transport".
"We believe the mayor's position is one which supports the notion that social infrastructure ought not to be subjected to a user pays system; lest of all, one which is as inefficient and costly as the e-toll system introduced by Sanral," says Outa chairperson Wayne Duvenage.
Tau went on to say he was against the M1 being included in the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project.
"We will not consent that municipal roads be used for e-toll purposes," according to the mayor.
"Mayor Parks Tau is justified in his opposition to have his city's roads subjected to the cumbersome and virtually unworkable tolling process. His opinions become more justified against the backdrop of an almost non-existent public transport alternative," says Duvenage.
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