The Transport Laws and Related Matters Amendment Bill, which will enable the implementation of e-tolling in Gauteng, is now at the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), as it moves closer to becoming law.
However, there is no indication as to when the Bill, which allows for the collection of e-tolls, will become law, as there are several steps that need to be taken first. Among these is that the pending law has to be sent to affected provinces, in this case Gauteng, where it will be voted on in the legislature.
The Bill was previously positioned by the Department of Transport as a formality that was holding back e-toll implementation.
Neil Campbell, the Democratic Alliance's roads and transport spokesman, explains that, after going to the relevant provinces, it will be read a second time by the NCOP, before being read again by Parliament.
Should the houses pass the law, it will then come into effect when president Jacob Zuma signs it, says Campbell. He adds that if the ANC-led government attempts to shortcut the process, the DA will protest.
Meanwhile, the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance's appeal against a court ruling, that allows the tolling to go ahead, has yet to be heard.
Transport spokesperson Tiyani Rikhotso, who was not immediately available to comment, has said the Bill was set to go through NCOP, back to the National Assembly and then to the desk of president Jacob Zuma to be signed into effect. "Once these processes have been completed, [transport minister Ben Martins] will make an announcement as to the date of implementation for e-tolls," he previously said.
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