He added that the figures published by Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa) are incorrect.
Outa’s chairperson, Mr Wayne Duvenage, previously said that Sanral is wasting R85-million per annum to advertise a product that is denounced by the majority of motorists.
Mr Mona said that Sanral spent R74 498 in the 2012/2013 financial year.
“Sanral behaves as if it was a business operating in a competitive environment, seeking customers for its products. It is, however, a state-owned entity whose role it is to construct roads in the most efficient manner and at the lowest cost to society.
“Instead, it has embarked on a strategy to convince society to pay far more than it needs to, through an inefficient revenue-generating system of e-tolls that enriches overseas companies, whilst at the same time, society has been encumbered by Sanral’s overpayment of the Gauteng freeways due to collusive bid-rigging contractors, the behaviour of which Sanral has yet to condemn,” he said.
Mr Duvenage said that e-tags have been bought by some corporate entities and government departments but thousands of motorists have not bought the e-tags.
“This is not because they do not want to pay for infrastructure that offers benefits to society but because Sanral and the government have lost the trust of the people on this issue. They have sought to force a costly construction and collection system into being, whilst lacking the required levels of transparency and engagement with a society that would want nothing more than to have been part of the process, seeking the most efficient funding mechanism with alternative options and solutions included into the plan,” he said.
Mr Duvenage said that the examples of road tolling failures around the world, especially when they do not have the support of the society, prove that Gauteng e-tolling is destined to fail.
Mr Mona said that e-tolling, as a new project, needed intense advertising.
“Any new initiative, such as e-tolling, will accrue increased advertising spending as it must be supported through marketing. It is Sanral’s responsibility to educate road users on how to become compliant.
“It is also part of driving the public’s awareness and public participation. One could only imagine the criticism had Sanral not communicated essential information, such as how and where to obtain e-tags. It is important to note that the vast majority of e-toll advertising related to educating the public on details on how and where to obtain e-tags, registering and e-toll tariffs,” Mr Mona said.
He added that Sanral’s continued advertising while the e-tolls matter is still being challenged, was not a waste.
“Sanral implements government policy. The court challenge has nothing to do with whether e-tolling should go ahead or not. That question was settled by the Constitutional Court last year when it set aside the interdict that prevented Sanral from implementing e-tolling,” Mr Mona said.
