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The Road Freight Association (RFA) notes the decision by cabinet to “finally close the historical e-toll debt” which involves the “close-out” of historical debt and the “resolution of all outstanding litigation matters”.The minister of transport has “welcomed the cabinet decision”. Strange. Didn’t the transport department push this from the beginning, a “ringfenced toll revenue collection system to fund the vital routes in and around Gauteng”? Remember when this was referred to as the “Gauteng Freeway Improvement Programme (GFIP)”.Recently transport minister Barbara Creecy noted “widespread tolling may become necessary to maintain South Africa’s road network” as the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) was given responsibility for (read that as “saddled with”) more than 13,000km of roads due to the inability of provincial and local authorities to maintain, develop or repair the existing network of roads.Gavin Kelly, CEO of the Road Freight Association. (RFA) More toll roads rely on the “user-pay principle”, and we have seen how well that worked with e-tolls.Further, “road users who lawfully paid e-tolls while the system was legally in force will not be refunded”. That means those who refused to pay performed illegal acts. No punishment for them, but punishment for those who comply.A lesson is to be learnt here, and it’s not the type of lesson any government should be teaching the citizens it counts on to keep it afloat through taxes and levies. The questions that could arise from any logically thinking taxpayer (or any other form of “service levy”) are: why should I pay (as others don’t and there is no deterrent) and what is the next levy/tax we as citizens should “oppose and refuse to pay”?It is very sad that, despite promises from the Gauteng premier that there would be reimbursement (swiftly followed by a retraction), Gauteng citizens are going to pay off the Gauteng e-Toll portion of the “debt” as agreed to by the same premier. That means those who abided by the law and paid e-tolls will inevitably “pay a second time” through other levies and taxes.A great “victory” for those who opposed e-tolls? Perhaps a sobering moment regarding the transient nature of government policy built on the foundation of popularist notionsThe association was very clear at the outset of e-tolls that it would support the system subject to the government ensuring all who used the tolled routes would pay, and those who did not would be properly dealt with. Turns out that was another empty promise.Our members abided by the law. Many citizens abided by the law. The association proposed alternatives before the first e-toll gantry began operating, but these fell on deaf ears.Are the U-turns and detours seen over the past few years an indication of what will happen in the future regarding road development and maintenance, rail and port operations and the greater logistics network? One hopes not.At least the uncertainty of looming legal action has been dealt a death blow.A great “victory” for those who opposed e-tolls? Perhaps a sobering moment regarding the transient nature of government policy built on the foundation of popularist notions.Now for the halt of anything of an Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences nature.Gavin Kelly is CEO of the Road Freight Association
