With the possible backlash against the announcement of a 50% reduction in e-toll fees, as well as the very strong opinion that the public voice was not heeded‚ it is unlikely that e-tolls will now be paid. In the worst case‚ it could simply lead to more unlicensed vehicles on the road.
So said Mari Harris, director of public affairs at research company. Ipsos, in a statement on Monday, commenting that research conducted last month strongly disproved deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa’s statement last week that a review panel had “found that there’s general acceptance of the user-pay principle”.
In the Ipsos study, conducted in April 2015, the vast majority of Gauteng motorists (74%) were of the opinion that the government should find an alternative to the e-toll system in Gauteng.
"It is therefore not very surprising that the news of the fee reduction has not been more positively received," said Harris. "This will be compounded by the possibility of being unable to renew your vehicle's licence in the case of unpaid toll fees."
In fact, Ipsos research shows that support for e-tolls has declined. “Looking back at earlier findings, 58% of motorists were already calling for a different system in November 2013.
As of April 2015, more than four in every 10 (43%) of Gauteng motorists disagreed with the statement that the amount charged per kilometre was reasonable and 47% disagreed completely with the toll to be paid by Gauteng motorists.
Reduced e-toll fees likely to be rejected – study
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