OUTA have been locked in a lengthy and costly battle with the South African government and South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) over plans to start charging motorists who use the upgraded Gauteng highways.
The opposition group believe the proposed e-toll scheme “remains an unacceptably expensive and inefficient way of funding infrastructure”, but they lost a court battle in December when Judge Vorster ruled against them.
But the group have not given up and Wayne Duvenage, OUTA Chairman, said: “Both Government and SANRAL have not yet presented any convincing plan for alternative public transport and secondary road capacity, to accommodate current GFIP road users in order to try and decongest the highways.
“Further, the key argument of ‘user pay’ adopted by Government, has been found to be logically flawed by applying both various tariff exemptions and caps.”
But doubt remains over the appeal as Duvenage said they would need support from the public and financial contributions from the business community to be able to afford the action.
OUTA were ordered to pay the legal costs and HumanIPO reported they came under heavy criticism by Vusi Mona, Deputy Chief Executive of Government Communication and Information System, who accuses the pressure group of harassing the administration and of “vexatious litigation”.
