The SA National Roads Agency (Sanral) says it is suspending the process of pursuing e-toll debt. According to News24, it says that ‘given the initiative led by President Cyril Ramaphosa to address the e-tolls payment impasse, Sanral will, with immediate effect, suspend the process of pursuing e-toll debt. This includes historic debt and summonses applied for from 2015. No new summonses will be applied for’.

Spokesperson Vusi Mona said the decision will be constantly monitored by the board and reviewed according to prevailing circumstances. Mona has reportedly said motorists owe Sanral more than R10.9bn in unpaid e-toll money.

According to TimesLIVE, the e-toll system remains in force, and the Sanral statement did not make any reference to its viability.

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Sanral’s decision has been hailed a strong signal that the end of the project is near, notes a Business Day report. The DA described Sanral’s announcement – coming just more than a month before the elections – as ‘blatant electioneering’ by the ANC in Gauteng, where it lost the key Johannesburg and Tshwane metros to opposition parties in the 2016 local elections.

Outa said the decision was a sign of the beginning of the end of ‘irrational Gauteng e-tolls’.

‘We must remain vigilant and treat this suspension as a temporary situation, as the e-toll debt collection could possibly be relaunched again in future, such as after the election,’ CEO Wayne Duvenage said.

‘While there is lots to be positive about, we can’t yet pop the champagne corks.’

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