Deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa has offered motor vehicle owners an almost 50% reduction in fees for e-tolls.
“A single reduced tariff will apply to all motorists, reducing the tariff of 58c/km to 30c/km,” Ramaphosa said.
He said public transport will remain exempt from e-toll tariffs.
“Users of light motor vehicles will not pay more than R225/month, which is half the previous monthly cap of R450.”
There will be no charge for infrequent users who make less than 30 gantry passes per year.
Current e-toll users with outstanding fees from December 2013 will receive a discount of 60%, for the next six months.
Those who do not pay their fees within 30 days will in future have to pay double.
Ramaphosa said that the settlement of e-toll fees will be linked to the motor licence renewal process, too.
The e-tolls project is officially known as the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project.
The deputy president said government took into consideration the comprehensive e-tolls assessment conducted by Gauteng province and also had thorough consultation with various stakeholders.
“The panel found that the implementation of the e-tolls has hugely benefited the economy by ensuring a better quality road system,” Ramaphosa said.
“There is general acceptance of the user-pays principle. People do believe that they should pay for using the roads. In the current form, the e-tolls placed a disproportionate burden on low- and medium-income households.” — © 2015 NewsCentral Media