Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula says the government would find a solution to the prolonged e-tolling impasse.
Mbalula was addressing the 38th annual Southern African Transport Conference (SATC) in Pretoria.
His utterances followed the spat on social media between Gauteng Infrastructure Development and Property Management MEC Tasneem Motara, Premier David Makhura and Finance Minister Tito Mboweni regarding the controversial e-tolls.
“The President has established a task team, led by myself, about the options on the table. A report will be tabled before him and from there will be given to the Cabinet,” he explained.
“We know that there are robust views that come from the treasury in terms of the fiscus and the debt that we owe. We know there are views in relation to our borrowing capacity and the bond market,” he said.
Despite this, Mbalula promised to have a solution to the e-tolling matter by August this year.
SATC continues until Thursday, 11 July and will host a contingent of international and local transport industry speakers, thought leaders, academics, students and engineers.
e-Hailing services
Mbalula conceded that the government had to make speedy provision to regulate e-hailing services in the country.
“Government’s role is to speedily come up with new policies and laws that will render disruptive transport technologies beneficial to all, and easily adaptable to the abruptly changing environments.”
The Minister stated that as a country, we are still a long way off the transition from driver-operated to autonomous vehicles.
