DURBAN – While the Department of Transport and its stakeholders continue to debate the issue of e-tolls, Gauteng Health has spend around R1 million on e-tolls since January last year.
According to Gauteng Health MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi, officials have spend R1 064 420 on e-tolls. She said the department has no outstanding e-toll payments except for R65 000 for a current invoice in process.
The revelations were made in a written response to questions put forward by the DA in the Gauteng Legislature.
It was further revealed that the e-tolls in Gauteng which were launched eight years ago, have cost the department more than R4 million over this entire period.
DA spokesperson on health, Jack Bloom said despite Premier David Makhura’s frequent promises that the e-tolls would be scrapped, they remain an unnecessary expense for government departments and those businesses that still pay them, although most motorists don’t.
“There is no sense in continuing the e-tolls as the collection costs outweigh the money that is brought in,” he said.
There is no definite decision on whether e-tolls will continue or be scrapped.
Minister of Transport, Fikile Mbalula, told the Cabinet that there are a number of factors to consider in the process of finalising the GFIP (Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project /e-toll matter).
“It is not simply a matter of scrapping and not scrapping, despite the overwhelming demand to scrap. The matter of e-tolls is receiving priority attention by the Cabinet and will be finalised soon,” he said.
The minister said the final determination is about how best to carry the cost burden of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project, while maintaining these roads in a pristine condition.
“We agreed with the Minister of Finance that the announcement of the final decision will be made during the Budget Speech in February 2022,” he said.
IOL