E-Toll Tariffs described by driving specialist as “economic terrorism”

Road safety specialist and long-time opponent of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project tolls, Rob Handfield – Jones, has reacted with shock to the published e-toll tariffs, calling them “extortion” and “economic terrorism”.

“According to the tariffs published by SANRAL, a so-called ‘alternate user’, being someone who isn’t registered with SANRAL [currently over 90% of Gauteng motorists], will have to pay up to three times more to use the GFIP roads than a registered user,” he said. “The Minister of Transport has shown himself to be entirely out of touch by approving these outrageous rates in the face of overwhelming public opposition to e-tolling. It is outright extortion. It is economic terrorism. It is SANRAL telling citizens: capitulate and register with us or we will bankrupt you.”

Handfield – Jones, who was one of the first to alert the public to the financial hardship that awaited them if the GFIP e-tolling system went ahead, urged motorists not to fit e-tags and to register their support for the court challenge to the system by visiting the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance website at www.outa.co.za.

“The story of e-tolling is the story of the laws that SANRAL has broken, flouted or re-written to suit its agenda,” he commented. “Few of their actions meet the standards of inclusiveness our democracy demands. The result is a R30 billion scandal which rivals the arms deal in deceit and under-handedness,” he concluded.

Also view:

SANRAL statement on e-road users