ANC slams Outa for stance on fuel levy

27 January 2016 - 09:29 By Babalo Ndenze

African National Congress (ANC) MPs slammed the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa) for failing to provide alternatives to e-tolling and for protecting the interests of the rich and not the poor. They also defended e-tolls during a sometimes strained meeting of the parliamentary portfolio committee on transport on Tuesday.MPs had a go at Outa chairperson Wayne Duvenage‚ who presented a report calling for the scrapping of the scheme.Outa requested to brief the committee on potential consequences of the planned e-toll regulatory amendments‚ concerns around toll collections‚ possible collusion in the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP) by construction companies‚ and the lack of court action against this behaviour.“Halt the e-tolls scheme now. It’s not too late to stop‚” Duvenage told the committee.He said continuous “regulatory revisions” and changes to regulations have further complicated the schemes.“It is possible to negotiate exit strategy for the e-toll contacts. Five-year term-end is not far off‚” said Duvenage.Responding to Duvenage’s presentation‚ ANC MP Patrick Sibande said Outa was encouraging people not to pay‚ but at the same time saying they are not opposed to the user-pay principle.“That is contradiction number one. They say they are not opposing‚ but they are instructing people not to pay. I thought you were going to use this opportunity well. Give us a tangible alternative. Don't just criticise. In your first input you said you’re concerned about the business‚ but you are not concerned about the poor. You’re not covering the poor‚" said Sibande.ANC MP Sibusiso Radebe also took a swipe at Duvenage.“The issue of a proposed fuel levy has been explored. All other toll gates we have in South Africa are user-pay. Those taxis that are exempted are used by black people - the poorest of the poor. Are we simply saying that people should not subsidise those who are poor? Ss that what you’re trying to say?” asked Radebe.Democratic Alliance MP Manny de Freitas said after the meeting that they remained convinced that e-tolls should be scrapped with immediate effect.“Compliance rates are now estimated at a meagre 10%. As it stands the collection of e-tolls is administratively burdensome and expensive as opposed to e-toll payments funded through the fuel levy which is easy and costs nothing to collect‚” said De Freitas. - TMG Digital/TMG Parliamentary Bureau..

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