Cosatu in Gauteng is worried about the extension of the e-tolling system to KwaZulu-Natal, the trade union federation said on Thursday.
It proved that the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) planned to roll-out the system to the entire country, Cosatu Gauteng secretary Dumisani Dakile said in a statement.
“The recent announcement that the system will be introduced on the N3 and also the N2 re-affirms Sanral’s commitment to expand the system across the country.” At its next central executive committee meeting, Cosatu would call for the adoption of a campaign to disband Sanral, he said.
“We cannot afford to donate the revolution to the right-wing forces as a result of the state agencies, which are driven by profit motive.” He said the struggle to eradicate e-tolling was not over and efforts to fight it would be redoubled.
On Wednesday, Sanral revealed that KwaZulu-Natal was set to have e-tolls by November. Unlike in Gauteng it would not be an additional toll but simply an alternative means of collecting existing tolls, Sanral’s eastern region manager Logashri Sewnarain said at the time.
The e-tolling system would be implemented at the existing Mariannhill Toll Plaza on the N3 and at the Oribi Toll Plaza near Port Shepstone on the N2. The current method of paying tolls at booths at Oribi and Mariannhill would be maintained, but additional lanes would be added and vehicles with e-tags would be able to go through the new e-toll lanes. – Sapa