The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng is not surprised that Minister of Transport, Fikile Mbalula has yet again failed to announce a resolution on e-Tolls in the province.
Last month, Mbalula announced that a final decision on e-Tolls would be made at the end of the current financial year which ends today, with not a single word from “Mr Fix It”.
The DA will be writing to Gauteng Premier, David Makhura, urging him to lodge an intergovernmental dispute with the National Department of Transport for the urgent scrapping of e-Tolls. For the past 18 months, Mbalula has been continuously kicking this can down the road. It is clear that it is just another political ploy to further delay the matter.
Given the recent announcements that all toll fees would soon increase, despite the desperate state of the economy and the subsequent damage to livelihoods during the strict Covid-19 lockdown, it is even more important to get rid of e-Tolls as soon as possible.
For too long the residents of this province have been bankrolling something they were not consulted on and cannot afford. The people of Gauteng must no longer be burdened by this unworkable system.