The first agreement has been made on the user-pay principle and the implementation of the e-tolling system, between stakeholders and government.
Religious leaders under the banners of the South African Council of Churches (SACC), the National Interfaith Council of SA and the National Religious Association for Social Development today released a joint statement with government, expressing agreement on the e-toll issue.
The parties met at the Union Building this morning as part of the final set of discussions being carried out by the inter-ministerial committee on the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP), which e-tolling was created to fund.
"Government and the religious leaders agree on the user-pay principle for the development of road infrastructure. They further agree that the e-toll system should be part of a mix of mechanisms to address the problem of congestion on the GFIP road network," says the statement.
"They are also of the same view that the system should be used to finance the construction of roads."
The statement further says that the religious leaders are satisfied that government has adequately addressed their concerns which were raised at an earlier meeting.
Head of the committee deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe expressed confidence that a solution similar to the one reached with the leadership of the religious community will be reached with other concerned stakeholders.
Burden reduction
Government last week began meeting with stakeholders for a final round of talks on the GFIP and e-tolling.
This is despite the interdict against the implementation of e-tolling being set aside last month by the Constitutional Court.
"Government will use these meetings to respond to the issues that were raised by the stakeholders and to put on the table the way forward," said Motlanthe.
"In the meantime, government wants to assure Gauteng motorists and all those who will be using the province's highways that it is committed to seeking ways of reducing the financial burden of social and economic services to consumers."
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