After years spent struggling to convince motorists of the need to pay e-tolls in order to fund Gauteng’s sparkly new freeways, the government has essentially eaten its own words with the announcement on Wednesday that it would be slashing e-toll tariffs.
Among other things, the new deal puts a R225 cap on e-toll fees for light motor vehicles and infrequent users, such as long-distance travellers from outside the province who do not pass more than 30 gantries in a year, will not be charged.
The question now is whether motorists who haven’t been paying the tolls at all to begin with, will take the deal and start paying up – or simply continue to ignore the gantries and the bills.
