The South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) has welcomed the decision by the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (OUTA) not to challenge the controversial e-tolling system in Gauteng any further.
This comes after OUTA’s announcement it will abandon its court proceedings, which would have been taken to the Constitutional Court. Wayne Duvenage, chairperson of OUTA, said the decision not to press on with legal action is due to a lack of the necessary funds.
“We can now focus our attention on implementing open road tolling so that we ease the congestion problems on our freeways and support economic growth. It’s time to move on and work together in improving our road infrastructure. We hope the likes of OUTA will join us [on] this national endeavor,” said Vusi Mona, spokesperson for SANRAL.
Earlier this month the South African Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) dismissed an appeal made by OUTA challenging SANRAL’s implementation of e-tolling on Gauteng’s freeways.
The Constitutional Court, Gauteng High Court and the SCA have all made their rulings on the issue, which confirms SANRAL’s opinion the infrastructure upgrades on the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP) are compliant with all relevant legal processes, including public consultations.
