Gauteng motorists will no longer be charged for using routes that were billed by the e-toll system as of mid-night tomorrow, Minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga has announced. The system was introduced by the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) in an attempt to repay money borrowed in the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project in 2013.

Chikunga said the system has officially been scrapped. "Tomorrow, that is 11 April 2024 at 23:59:59, road users will no longer be charged for the use of the Gauteng e-toll routes. The tag beeps will stop after midnight on 11 April 2024. The gantry lights and cameras will remain on for road safety purposes but also for crime fighting, "she said.

Chikunga said though the e-tolls have been scrapped, old debts still need to be paid. "In terms of the law, motorists are still obligated to pay, but how this will be enforced is still to be discussed. If there are challenges, that's a matter we will be looking into. There is an existing law that says if you use a toll road, you must pay. We have not repealed this law, so based on that, people must pay."

Meanwhile, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said the issue of debt repayment was a complicated one and denied ever promising motorists refunds from the system. "The basis of the disputes on e-tolls was a lack of consultation. Therefore the payment or enforcement of debt, we must subject it to consultation, so people can't say we are taking a decision without consulting. We will consult; there's a technical team we will establish. It's not an easy thing. There's the element of SARS. There are people who have paid tax on this; there are people who have hired cars who have paid e-tolls. Cars have changed from one person to another, so after proper consultation we will make an announcement, "he said.