A South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) spokesperson said he will not respond to the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance’s (OUTA) claims that it ignored arguments regarding e-toll enforcement. The comments claimed the proposed enforcement was unworkable. In a recent statement, OUTA’s chairperson, Mr Wayne Duvenage, said in 2007 Sanral did not submit the documents revealing how the e-toll payment programme was at risk to the then minister of transport. He added that in the same year, there was a study which revealed there was a culture of not paying fines present in South Africa. There was also an indication that paying e-tolls would be impractical. “It was also proposed that on-ramps should be widened and equipped to provide for non-compliant vehicles to be detected, pulled over and fined or impounded,” said Mr Duvenage. He added that Sanral’s CEO, Mr Nasir Alli, said Sanral would use the current laws to force motorists to pay e-tolls. “He said the issuing of summonses and legal notices to road traffic offenders, the current legal process for conducting these activities, exists throughout the country. The application of these principles to the e-tolling system is similar and there are therefore no anticipated logistical difficulties which will cause the system to be impractical. In reality though, if current road traffic violation payment successes are anything to go by, Sanral is in for a torrid time,” said Mr Duvenage. He also said the legality of e-toll collection is still a challenge to Sanral. “Today, despite the constant mantra from Sanral that e-toll enforcement is ready to go, and that they so desperately need the funds, we have yet to see a detailed e-toll enforcement process published for the road-using public to review. “It is almost incomprehensible that some seven years after the e-toll plan was mooted, planned, designed and developed, to now be told the legal framework has become a hindrance. This after their claims during the interdict court hearings last year that they were ready and needed to launch within weeks to avoid a financial ‘armageddon’ and further down-grading of their credit ratings,” said Mr Duvenage. When asked to respond, Sanral’s spokesperson Mr Vusi Mona, said he will not comment to the media about the claims. “Sanral is not willing to engage OUTA on its opinions as we have a case on appeal with Outa. We do not litigate in the media but in court,” said Mr Mona.
