As the Festive Season holiday period is upon us and some people are preparing for their trips to the coast, N3 Toll Concession (N3TC) believes that it is essential to clarify the payment methods acceptable at the four mainline toll plazas and nine associated ramp plazas along the N3 Toll Route between Cedara (near Hilton) in KwaZulu Natal and Heidelberg South in Gauteng.
According to marketing manager of N3 Toll Concession Andy Visser, it is important to note that despite e-Tags being rolled out in Gauteng, they are not, as yet, functional along the Routes above mentioned.
“N3TC has commenced testing the Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) system at its plazas, which should ensure its availability as an additional means of payment on the route towards the latter part of 2014.
“As a result of testing the system, those motorists with e-Tags may hear a ‘beep’ sound as they pass through an N3TC-managed plaza environment.
“There is, however, no need to be alarmed as there will be no transaction recorded against their SANRAL e-Toll account,” says Visser.
He advises motorists using one of their toll gates to use cash, a South African bank issued credit card-Visa, Mastercards or garage cards only for payments at the N3TC plazas.
He warns that debit cards are not accepted.
For the safety and convenience purposes of those who will be using the N3 Toll Route, N3TC provides 24/7 route patrol services linked to its 24/7 Customer Careline – 0800 N3 HELP (0800 63 4357)
“People should know that N3TC’s Route Services are available to customers in the event of a breakdown or an accident
“We can be accessed via a call to the careline number and through the provision of details on the closest Route Marker Board.
“In addition to this, to make travelling a lot easier, N3TC will be providing regular traffic updates, information regarding weather conditions along the routes and reporting on incidents that could impact on a motorist’s journey via its Twitter feed on the hashtag @N3Route,” says Visser.
He adds that anyone with access to Twitter can plan their trip with the added convenience of knowing what is happening along this section of the N3 at any given time.
“Those with access to Twitter via smart phones, tablets or iPads will have access to up-to-the-minute information on any situation as it unfolds on the N3 Toll route during their journey, which should assist motorists to make informed decisions while travelling along the Route.
“While we encourage motorists to talk to us via this feed, we reiterate that this should be done with caution and monitoring of the feed should be managed by a passenger.
“Alternatively, when a driver stops to refuel or rest during the journey.
“N3TC strongly opposes texting while driving and we request motorists to be mindful of this danger at all times,” says Visser.
