Ian Ollis. Image courtesy of the DA.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) is set to submit an application through the Promotion of Access to Information Act to the South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) in an attempt to obtain e-tolling documentation.
The documentation the DA is interested in relates to the contract for services between Kapsch TrafficCom in Austria, SANRAL and the Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) joint venture.
HumanIPO reported yesterday Kapsch TrafficCom said it is expecting a revenue boost of approximately ZAR672.5 million (US$67.6 million) from South Africa’s delayed e-tolling project.
SANRAL then claimed the money generated from e-tolling would not be sent overseas.
“Despite whatever SANRAL may claim, we know that at least some of the money will leave our shores. We do not, however, know how much and therefore the need for this PAIA application,” said Ian Ollis, DA shadow minister of transport.
“From the start, SANRAL has always said that e-tolls were justified because money was required for road maintenance in South Africa. From Kapsch’s announcement, it would appear that e-tolling will have little benefit for South Africa other than fattening a foreign company’s bank balance.”
Ollis believes the people of South Africa have a right to know about the contractual obligations SANRAL has with Kapsch TrafficCom and ETC.span>
Furthermore he believes South Africans should also have the right to know whose pockets their money is filling.
“The facts are simple; e-tolling will create the most expensive toll collection system in the world, make the poor poorer, undermine economic growth and lead to job losses. There are absolutely no benefits of e-tolling for South Africa,” concluded Ollis.
