The Gauteng government has officially announced a new expiry date for the e-tolls system.
When is the new Gauteng e-tolls expiry date?
Over a year following promises of its termination, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi declared that the e-tolls would officially cease operations on 31 March 2024.
This announcement came during the Gauteng State of the Province Address (SOPA), where Lesufi outlined the government’s commitment to ending the controversial tolling system.
In preparation for this shift, Premier Lesufi revealed a pivotal meeting with Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana and Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga.
They collectively agreed on a strategy to formally switch off and delink the e-tolls by the end of March.
“E-tolls will be history in our province,” Lesufi affirmed, indicating that further details would be shared by Minister Godongwana in his upcoming Budget speech.
Gauteng’s long and exhaustive history with e-tolls
The e-tolls system has been a contentious issue in Gauteng, sparking widespread debate and resistance from motorists and civic organisations.
Formally known as the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP), e-tolls were introduced to fund the improvement of highways around Johannesburg and Pretoria.
Officially implemented in 2013, the system aimed to alleviate congestion and finance the upgrade of critical road infrastructures through electronic tolling.
From its onset, the e-tolls system faced significant backlash from the public, political parties, and various organisations.
Critics argued that the tolls added a financial burden on motorists and commuters, who were already taxed through fuel levies and vehicle taxes.
The lack of public consultation and transparency in the system’s implementation further fuelled dissatisfaction, leading to widespread protests and a low compliance rate among motorists.
The controversy also centred around the effectiveness of e-tolls in reducing traffic congestion in Gauteng and whether the costs associated with the system were justified by the benefits.
Legal challenges and calls for civil disobedience against the e-tolls marked the intense opposition that the system faced over the years.
The South African government and SANRAL made several attempts to revise the e-tolls policy in response to public outcry. These included discounts on outstanding e-tolls fees, payment plans, and other incentives to encourage compliance.
However, these measures did little to quell the resistance, and the system’s unpopularity persisted.
The decision to discontinue it comes after prolonged public dissatisfaction and debates over its efficacy and financial burden on road users.
However, it’s worth noting that Lesufi’s predecessors have, in the past, pledged to abolish the system, yet it remained operational
