Zuma car accident exposes flawed e-tolls

This according to the Democratic Alliance’s shadow minister of transport, Manny de Freitas who said Duduzane’s accident case had revealed some important information pertaining to the entire e-toll system.

Duduzane was involved in an accident with a minibus taxi where a person was killed on Grayston Drive, Sandton, in February this year. He was found to have been negligent at the Randburg Magistrates’ Court on 11 December, however, he has yet to be prosecuted.

“This case highlighted the credibility of the e-toll bills which were used as evidence in this court case,” explained De Freitas. “Records provided by the South African National Roads Agency did not match actual events and, even worse, a taxi driver that drove through a gantry was not recorded on the e-toll information system at all.”

De Freitas said the reality was that not only were citizens rejecting the e-toll system, but that the system itself did not work. “Government needs to simply scrap this system,” he said.

The week of 1 December marked the first anniversary of the introduction of the e-tolls system. “During the last year, road users have been unified in their opposition against this expensive system that only a few can afford,” said De Freitas. “Throughout this period we have also seen that there are flaws in this supposedly world-class system. Incorrect people have been billed, including people who have never travelled on Gauteng roads and even people who are not even licensed; like under-aged children.”