NELSPRUIT – The Gauteng e-toll debacle has a far reach, as local resident Ms Sheila Tebbit has experienced. A visit to Johannesburg in December has now become a major inconvenience for her.
Before leaving for Gauteng, she contemplated the e-toll issue, and decided that she would purchase a day pass once there. This proved more difficult than the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) would have one believe, Tebbit found.
On January 11, a month after using the notorious e-toll route, she received an SMS that her account had been handed over for collection. Her efforts to resolve the matter and make payment cost her R41 in airtime, to the publicised toll-free number 0800-SANRAL. After being transferred to the Violations Processing Centre (VPC), the operator was unable to furnish her with any account details for an electronic transfer.
More than a week later, Tebbit received three invoices dated December 17, 28 and 29.
Finding the VPC banking details on these did not resolve the matter either. Due to an erroneous banking code, Tebbit , a pensioner who lives on a farm, had to travel to town to make a payment at her bank.
“How much has it cost them to collect this R30 from me?” she asked; quite a legitimate question taking into account the cost of an SMS and the three invoices consisting of seven pages in total.
Another local, Ms Linda Newby van Rooyen notified Lowvelder in January that she had received an SMS about outstanding toll fees of more than R500. “Is this intimidation to get people to register? I haven’t been in Gauteng since implementation of e-tolls, and I do not own a vehicle!” she said.
Sanral hasn’t responded to the paper’s questions yet, but the issue regarding incorrect billing has garnered media attention in Gauteng, eliciting reactions from the Justice Project SA, Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa) and even the DA, which has received more than 300 e-toll billing complaints. Mr John Clarke from Outa confirmed that it has received 900 so far.
Information which may assist readers who occassionally travel to Johannesburg:
• Vehicle owners who have been incorrectly billed for using e-toll roads are expected to complete one representation form for every incorrect invoice, said Mr Vusi Mona, general manager of communications at Sanral. Chairman of the Justice Project South Africa, Mr Howard Dembovsky, said that it must also be noted that in addition to completing one form per invoice, motorists will need to sign each one before a commissioner of oaths. “You then have to either take the forms to a Sanral customer-service centre, or post them via registered mail,” Dembovsky said.
• Non-registered users will be deemed “alternate” users, and need to go to a Sanral customer-service centre and make payment within seven days of passing under a gantry. It is not possible to check an account or pay via the Sanral website. If you don’t pay within seven days, you will receive the now notorious SMS. This is not a cause for concern, in terms of Regulation 6 (5) of the e-Road Regulations, Sanral must issue and send an invoice to a postal or physical address registered on the Electronic National Administration Traffic Information System within 32 days of a vehicle passing under a gantry. “Effectively, this means that the invoice issued after the grace period must be issued within 25 days after this expiry. Users must then be given a reasonable period to settle the invoice, and these provide 30 days in which to settle them at a 60 per cent discount,” the Justice Project SA states on its website at www.jp-sa.org
The DA has urged all disgruntled recipients of e-toll bills to send their complaints to enoccentn@da.org.za, tweet a picture of the bill or SMS to @DA_News using #No2etolls.
Enquiries: Sanral at 0800-SANRAL (726725).
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