The Economic Freedom Fighters say the panel appointed to review e-tolling in Gauteng wasted taxpayers’ money that could have been used to improve the province.
“The appointment of a panel to look into the impact of the e-tolls and its user-payer system wasted more money which could have been channelled towards building and maintaining roads in the townships where drainage systems are forever blocked,” the EFF in Gauteng said today.
The party was reacting to the release of the panel’s findings this week.
Read: E-tolls review panel finds system is ‘unworkable’
The panel was set up on July 17 by Gauteng premier David Makhura to examine the economic and social impact of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project following calls for it to be scrapped.
The panel found that the e-toll system placed a burden on low and middle income households and was unaffordable. It made over 50 recommendations, including that the system be reviewed to address affordability and sustainability.
The EFF called on motorists to use public roads without paying e-tolls.
“As EFF correctly observed, the whole [e-toll] project is corrupt and the government wants to force community members to pay a huge bill which the ANC government created without consultation with road users,” said the party.
“The EFF in Gauteng is of the view that the e-tolls paying system should be completely scrapped, the government must find money to pay for the debt they created.”
