DA: Toll contract must be cancelled
2012-06-05 17:00
Johannesburg - The DA called for the cancellation of the e-tolls project in the Gauteng provincial legislature on Tuesday.
"Although there will be some penalties for
cancellation, [Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan] has already decreased
the debt by R5.75bn, to R14.75bn," said Democratic Alliance
MPL Neil Campbell during a debate on the department of roads and
transport budget.
He said there were three simple steps to solve the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project funding problem.
"Firstly, the national fuel levy must be ring-fenced, which will ensure that a true 'user pays' principle applies."
A safe and reliable alternative for public transport
must also be provided. And the fuel levy would need to be increased by
not more than 11 cents per litre.
"It can be collected by the five oil refiners, which
will decrease the cost of collection from the estimated R13 billion to
almost zero."
This would fulfil the government's requirement of the
"user pays" principle, and would save billions of rands on an extremely
expensive toll collection system, Campbell said.
"The dogged determination of Cabinet to stick to an
overpriced, unaffordable and hugely unpopular toll collection system
reeks of arrogance of the grandest order."
On April 28, the High Court in Pretoria handed down an
order preventing Sanral from levying or collecting e-tolls pending the
outcome of a judicial review.
Gordhan then approached the Constitutional Court in a bid to set aside the court order halting e-tolling.