Toll gantries can be put to good use

The Gauteng toll gantries can be put to good use for motorist convenience and road safety when the tolls are scrapped.

The electronic systems can be used to alert motorists about problems such as lane closures, accidents or other traffic hold-ups.

This can become the most sophisticated user-information system in the world. Traffic volumes can be used to predict bottlenecks, and traffic can be redirected to less congested areas, which will materially improve the efficiency of the road network. The Road Quality Panel, a voluntary group of senior road and transport engineers, noted this in a submission to the transport department and the parliamentary committee on roads and transport.

Gantries can be used for speed enforcement in specific lanes. With conventional equipment, this is very difficult on a multilane highway. They can also be used to check dangerous driving, and to locate stolen vehicles as they can be linked to police alerts and E-Natis.

Charl Kroon, convener, Road Quality Panel (retired city engineer) Boksburg

I always thought engineers were logical. So why the ridiculous, expensive and unauditable method of paying for roads?

What is wrong with a fuel levy? A fuel levy already exists, so changing the percentage will be easy.

Why not toll Jan Smuts Avenue now that some lines have been repainted?

Richard Becker, Athol