Not paying your e-tolls is not a traffic infringement, but in terms of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act (Aarto) 46 of 1998 it constitutes disobeying a road sign, said Fred Nel, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Roads and Transport.
“This means that when the demerit system does come into effect, drivers risk losing one point each time they pass a gantry with an e-toll sign without paying the toll-fee. Furthermore, if drivers passed 12 gantries with an e-toll sign without paying on just one day, they would lose 12 points on that day and could have their licences suspended for a year,” Nel said in a statement.
Also Read: E-toll debt: Pay up, or else …
According to him, the DA has been against e-tolls from the onset as they put enormous pressure on residents who are already struggling to make ends meet.
“The ANC-led government has, on several occasions, rejected our objections to the e-toll system. Had the Gauteng government listened to our objections, drivers in the province who do not have the means to pay for e-tolls would not be at risk of losing their licences.
“In his State of the Province Address (SOPA) earlier this year, Premier David Makhura acknowledged that e-tolls were not working and that they were impacting negatively on the lives of our residents.
“We call on the Premier to speed up his engagement with President Cyril Ramaphosa on this matter and urgently provide us with feedback.
“In addition, the DA calls for public hearings on the ramifications of non-payment, as the public has not been informed that they are at risk of losing their driver’s licences if they fail to pay their e-tolls.”
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