'Sanity has prevailed': OUTA celebrates scrapping of e-tolls in Gauteng
The Transport Department gazetted the withdrawal of the declaration on some highways in the province earlier on Thursday.
FILE: An e-tolls gantry on the highway in Gauteng. Picture: Abigail Javier/Eyewitness News
JOHANNESBURG - The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) said that the scrapping of e-tolls in Gauteng was a victory for motorists, who have been rejecting the project since the beginning.
The Transport Department gazetted the withdrawal of the declaration on some highways in the province earlier on Thursday.
The controversial system, which has been in place since 2013, was meant to help the state of the province's roads.
OUTA said the e-toll system was another example of what happens when government puts in place laws without considering the impact they will have on society.
The organisation's CEO Wayne Duvenage said this was something worth celebrating as this would bring motorists relief.
"I think finally sanity has prevailed, government should have taken this decision a long time ago. We could always see that the scheme was going to fail, but congratulations to the public who stood their ground."
Reacting to the scrapping of the e-tolls, the African National Congress (ANC) in Gauteng said this was an indication that the provincial government listened to the grievances of residents in Gauteng.
It said it's working on a plan to repurpose the e-toll infrastructure.