Sanral has announced that it has a roll out plan – and a mandate from government – to begin rolling out e-tags in a number of provinces apart from Gauteng. Although, they did fail to specify which provinces, and when they would begin the process. The announcement was made this afternoon by Sanral project manager, Alex van Niekerk

Van Niekerk was at pains to explain that the rolling out of e-tags in other provinces would not require the construction of overhead gantries, as was the case on many of Gauteng’s busiest motorways. And then everyone put down their pitch forks.

Spokesperson for the Department Of Transport Tiyani Rikhotso added, “There is no decision by government as far as what happens to other provinces.”

Sanral’s soft approach to the implementation of e-tags in provinces outside of Gauteng avoids multiple points of contention.

For one thing, van Niekerk indicated that the adoption of e-tags – which many libertarians regard as yet one more layer of state control and opportunity for bureaucratic maladministration – will not be compulsory, but will rather be offered as an additional method of toll payment on existing toll roads.

In essence, new tolls aren’t being created, and freedom of choice with regards to payment remains. Joy!

For now.

[Source : Fin24]