"In a week that has seen the SA National Roads Agency (Sanral) lose yet another legal e-toll case, in Cape Town, along with an extraordinary denouncement of e-tolls by the Catholic Church and only days before more organised protests, one could be mistaken to think [transport minister Ben Martins] has been out of the country."
This is the reaction of Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (OUTA) chairperson Wayne Duvenage, following news that the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) has adopted the Transport Laws and Related Matters Amendment Bill - otherwise known as the E-toll Bill.
Duvenage says OUTA is "astounded" by Martins' address to the NCOP, which he says "unconvincingly tries to convey a government that has consulted and listened to the robust and unrelenting opposition to e-tolls from all sectors of society".
He says the alliance maintains society is willing to pay for road upgrades in Gauteng, but it is opposed to an irrational collection system that will cost almost as much as the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project upgrades themselves.
"The Minister implies that tolling is the only way to pay for road development, as if loans and bonds for the timeous development can't be funded (as they have been for years) through other treasury revenue mechanisms."
Consultation question
Duvenage reiterates OUTA's concern that the process is marred by a lack of proper consultation with stakeholders before the commencement of the upgrades.
"[This goes] along with the single-mindedness in the choice of e-tolling, without properly considering other less costly and more equitable 'user-pay' funding methodologies, such as direct transfers from the fiscus and the fuel levy."
Against this context, he says, it is important to note that Martins refers to funding through "the selective use of a user charge" and concedes that "tolling is used selectively".
"[Martins] then applies this in the 'cash cow' province of Gauteng, where no reasonable alternative routes or reliable, safe public transport exist."
Duvenage says, even when the Department of Transport tested Gauteng's opinion in November 2012 on proposed e-toll tariffs and exemptions, "the public's resounding response was 'no' to e-tolling".
He says there are over 11 000 comments from the public that have yet to be published in summary by government, despite its undertaking to do so. "In this regard it is clear that government is quite selective about how they report on the real extent of e-toll opposition and refuse to conduct a referendum to gauge the support from Gauteng road-users."
Failure to launch
Duvenage questions Martins statement on the need for the E-toll Bill's acceptance "to improve the effectiveness of toll operations and enforcement".
He asks: "Why is it then, almost six years after the intent to toll was published, that the Minster is now appealing for further legislative changes - when during all the previous court proceedings, Sanral was adamant that they could implement e-tolling within weeks?"
OUTA has also questioned Sanral's failure to implement the system up to now, despite the roads agency's repeated claims that the system is ready to go. "Almost ten months after the temporary interdict was set aside, Sanral has still failed to launch, not because of anyone else's doing, but of their own."
Civil unrest
Duvenage says there is a very real possibility of a civil uprising should government continue to drive the e-toll agenda.
"[We are concerned] the increasing level of opposition to e-tolls will lead to civil disobedience which, under the current labour market tensions, will have a compounded impact on how the various credit agencies view SA as an investment destination."
He says, should this happen, Sanral will have to be held accountable for the "unintended consequences" of their poor decision making.
Regarding the damage to the credit reputation of Sanral Martins says e-toll implementation will serve to avert, Duvenage says: "Sanral has single-handedly damaged their own reputation and continue to do so as long as they refuse to consider other alternative funding proposals and recognise the deep extent of opposition which is only likely to escalate the more they try to ram e-tolls through."
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