Disabled protest against tolls

About a dozen wheelchair-bound Gauteng residents gathered at the Rivonia e-toll customer service centre to protest against the lack of an exemption for disabled people from e-tolls, The Star reported on Wednesday.

 

They were reportedly members of the QuadPara Association SA (Qasa).

 

Qasa chief executive Ari Seirlis said government and the SA National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) had promised the disabled an exemption, but never implemented this promise as legislation.

 

According to the newspaper,  the group arrived at the centre in Johannesburg on Tuesday to apply for tags that would ensure they would not be charged for using the freeways.

 

The group was told by the centre's manager Ali Ndou that there were only exemptions for drivers associated with public transport.

 

"We've been burnt by Sanral...We (Qasa) had tried to consult with them even as late as last week, and we have still not had a response," Seirlis was quoted saying.

 

The crowed then protested outside the centre. 

 

They set awheelchair on fire and reportedly shouted: "e-tolls tax the poorest of the poor" and "e-tolls will paralyse us."

 

-Sapa