Mamabolo insists e-tolls to be scrapped by end of March

During his State of the Province Address, Lesufi assured residents that the gantries would be switched off next month.

Delivering the provincial budget in the legislature on Tuesday morning, Mamabolo said the province has approached financial institutions to raise money required to pay off the debt owed to the South African National Roads Agency.

SANRAL is owed billions of rands in unpaid e-toll bills.

Last year, during the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said the national government would scrap e-tolls and absorb the e-tolls debt by paying 70%, and the Gauteng government would pay 30% of the debts.

Mamabolo says other matters relating to road maintenance can be concluded through a separate process.

"The province has accepted the 30% debt contribution and provision for honouring this commitment is part of the fiscal framework that we are presenting today. This is part of the province’s arrangements to service the debt.

"The province has approached financial institutions to raise money required to honour its contractual obligations noting that the target date for ending the tolling of GFIP 1 is 31 March 2024.

"Let me reaffirm Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s commitments in the State of the Province that by the 31st of March 2024 we should have resolved the issue of E-Tolls once and for all."

He said roads agency SANRAL has also confirmed that the e-tolls maintenance backlog bill is at R4.1billion.

However, funding will be required over a period of four years. 

"This demonstrates beyond reasonable doubt the province’s commitment to comply with National Treasury’s requirements and bring us closer to exiting the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project.

"As part of the winding down process, statutory authorities at national level – National Treasury, National Department of Transport and SANRAL – will carry out all the necessary steps to cease the collection of e-tolls and gazette accordingly," he addes

Mamabolo said fourteen days after the publishing of the deregulation gazette, Gauteng road users will no longer be charged for the use of the Gauteng freeways. 

Gantry lights and cameras will remain switched on for other law enforcement purposes.

"Road users can continue to use their e-tags at all other toll plazas in the country, as long as their accounts are active. Further details on this process will be communicated to all road users in due course," said Mamabolo.

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