Adv. Anton Alberts an FF Plus MP said:
The Minister of Transport, Mr. S’bu Ndebele’s earlier comments that the Gauteng toll gate project has been put on ice until February 2012 does not tally with his latest statement that the system will still be implemented in February 2012 if no alternate funding for the road improvements has been found elsewhere. The Freedom Front Plus views this as equivocation and it creates huge confusion with the result that road users are increasingly mistrusting the government. There has already been many sensible alternative funding methods been put forward to government by the public. According to Adv. Anton Alberts, the FF Plus’ parliamentary spokesperson on Transport, the fact that road users can now already purchase the e-tag transponders in order to pay a lower tariff, is creating the impression that the toll system will go ahead in February 2012 and that the current process of public consultation is merely a scam to appease the public.
“It is furthermore also unclear as to how any price decreases which the minister may make will impact on the existing e-tags and whether the system would be capable of managing such changes. A situation could arise in future where more expensive e-tags which are being purchased now will be used while the official tariff is lowered. This would bring about a breach of the Consumer Protection Act. The FF Plus therefore advises the public not to buy the e-tags now already but to wait until January 2012 to see what the true state of affairs is,” Alberts said.
The FF Plus is going ahead with its opposition to the toll system and requests the public to participate in the party’s online protest action at www.tollgatepetition.org.za. The FF Plus will continue to put pressure on the minister to scrap the toll gate system completely and find the necessary funding from the existing fuel levies,” Alberts added.
