Transport Dept officially withdraws e-toll declaration on some Gauteng roads

JOHANNESBURG - The Transport Department has officially withdrawn the e-tolls declaration on some roads in Gauteng.

The withdrawal was gazetted on Thursday, with the decision set to be effective in two weeks.

The e-toll system, which was met by public resistance, was launched in 2013 in Gauteng to improve the state of the provincial roads.

After 14 years of the controversial system, managed by the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL), from 11 April the gantries in Gauteng will be switched off on the N1, N12, N3, N4 and the R21.

The switching off of the e-tolls comes 11 days later than the promised deadline by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi.

During his State of the Province Address (SOPA) in February, Lesufi set a deadline for 31 March to switch off the e-toll system.

Since its inception, the project, which forced motorists travelling on certain highways in Johannesburg and Tshwane to pay, was widely rejected.

The Gauteng government is expected to pay off 30% of the R43 million owed to SANRAL for the project, with the rest of the bill set to be paid off by National Treasury.