Gauteng motorists expected to continue to pay for e-Tolls while Lesufi searches for funding solution

The timelines for the ending of e-Tolls have once again been shifted. This time, Premier Panyaza Lesufi is promising residents of Gauteng that e-Toll gantries will be switched by the end of the year.

This promise is nothing new, as last year Premier Lesufi boldly announced that e-Tolls were a thing of the past. He repeated this promise earlier this year in his State of the Province Address (SOPA).

However, motorists continue to be billed for this unwanted system that was imposed on them in 2013.
The DA has learnt that the national government is preventing the Premier from signing off on the process that will end e-Tolls. This is because of the government’s current financial difficulties, which could affect the affordability of ending e-Tolls.

This is worrying, as the longer it takes for a resolution to be found to end e-Tolls, the higher the debt to be repaid by the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG).

Furthermore, no proposal has been put forward by the GPG on how this debt will be repaid once the gantries are switched off.

The DA will continue to fight against any system that will be a financial burden to the residents of Gauteng.

Gauteng Provincial Government must intervene in the war on Uber drivers

Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport, Ismail Vadi and Gauteng MEC for Community Safety, Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane must urgently intervene in the war that is being waged on Uber drivers by metered taxi operators before there are any fatalities.

It has been reported that metered taxi operators have been circulating a memorandum which encourages operators to go out of their way to prevent Uber drivers from conducting their business.

The provincial government must intervene as a matter of urgency, not only to protect Uber drivers from harm, but if it is serious about job creation – it must not allow metered taxi operators to take food out of the mouths of hard working Uber drivers.

This thuggish behaviour cannot be tolerated. Strong action must be taken against metered taxi operators who intimidate, threaten and attack Uber drivers.

The metered taxi industry has for a long time held a monopoly on the private taxi industry, and now that it faces innovative competition, it is resorting to violent measures to remain the sole operator in the market.

In any market, businesses have to innovate to remain relevant.

The metered taxi industry should look to Uber to find ways in which it too can innovate and change its business model to attract new customers while ensuring the safety of passengers.
Both MEC’s must meet with representatives from Uber and the metered taxi association to find a sustainable solution to this ongoing problem.
 
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