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The Cabinet has approved reduced tolls for the Gauteng's freeway improvement project (GFIP) phase A1, deputy transport minister Jeremy Cronin has announced.
Motorcycles will pay 24c/km, light motor vehicles 40c, medium vehicles R1 and "longer" vehicles R2/km. Qualifying commuter taxis and buses would be pay nothing.
In addition to the 31% e-tag discount, other discounts applicable would be a time-of-day discount available to all vehicles and a frequent-user discount for motorcycles and light motor vehicles fitted with an e-tag.
Cronin also announced that the implementation of more phases of "improvement project" roads would now be re-assessed with a focus on straegic road priorities and how best to address congestion on some key road networks and how to pay for these priorities.
The "user pays" principle to upgrade and expand Gauteng freeways was suggested by the Gauteng provincial government in the late 1990's. The transport department, through its agency Sanral, would now start implementing the Cabinet's decision and further announcements will come later.
STRIKE ACTION PLANNED
Meanwhle, Cosatu has threatened to strike if the tolling policy on the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP) is not scrapped.
"If there is no change... we shall be planning marches, demonstrations, pickets and stayaways, and taking strike action," spokesman Patrick Craven said on Thursday.
The Congress of SA Trade Unions expressed anger over Cronin's announcement earlier in the day that the Cabinet had approved reduced toll tariffs for the GFIP phase A1. Craven said: "The government earlier promised it would consult with the public before charging tolls yet at the only meeting to which Cosatu Gauteng was invited they were simply told that the tolls were going ahead.
"That is not consultation!"
Cravin contended that the widespread opposition to the proposal had been ignored, and that it would impose a huge burden on road users.
Last week, the Federation of Unions of SA (Fedusa) said it would join Cosatu in an anti-tolls went ahead.
"The open road tolling system is aimed at consolidating the privatisation of our national roads and this simply cannot be allowed to happen," said general secretary Dennis George at the time.
Motorcycles will pay 24c/km, light motor vehicles 40c, medium vehicles R1 and "longer" vehicles R2/km. Qualifying commuter taxis and buses would be pay nothing.
In addition to the 31% e-tag discount, other discounts applicable would be a time-of-day discount available to all vehicles and a frequent-user discount for motorcycles and light motor vehicles fitted with an e-tag.
Cronin also announced that the implementation of more phases of "improvement project" roads would now be re-assessed with a focus on straegic road priorities and how best to address congestion on some key road networks and how to pay for these priorities.
The "user pays" principle to upgrade and expand Gauteng freeways was suggested by the Gauteng provincial government in the late 1990's. The transport department, through its agency Sanral, would now start implementing the Cabinet's decision and further announcements will come later.
STRIKE ACTION PLANNED
Meanwhle, Cosatu has threatened to strike if the tolling policy on the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP) is not scrapped.
"If there is no change... we shall be planning marches, demonstrations, pickets and stayaways, and taking strike action," spokesman Patrick Craven said on Thursday.
The Congress of SA Trade Unions expressed anger over Cronin's announcement earlier in the day that the Cabinet had approved reduced toll tariffs for the GFIP phase A1. Craven said: "The government earlier promised it would consult with the public before charging tolls yet at the only meeting to which Cosatu Gauteng was invited they were simply told that the tolls were going ahead.
"That is not consultation!"
Cravin contended that the widespread opposition to the proposal had been ignored, and that it would impose a huge burden on road users.
Last week, the Federation of Unions of SA (Fedusa) said it would join Cosatu in an anti-tolls went ahead.
"The open road tolling system is aimed at consolidating the privatisation of our national roads and this simply cannot be allowed to happen," said general secretary Dennis George at the time.
