Proposed Aarto changes seeks to accommodate e-tolls
JOBURG – Outa chairperson Wayne Duvenage said a record number of submissions through their website proves that e-tolls affect a lot of motorists.
Motorists have until 6 January to object the amendment imposed on the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act (Aarto) by the Department of Transport.
According to a non-profit organisation (NPO) Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa), this amendment seeks to include e-toll infringements into the adjudication process by the Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA).
The Department of transport published a Gazette on 7 December last year, which requests comment from the public before the closing date of 6 January.
Outa complained the amendments were impractical and infringe on the motoring public’s rights to defend themselves from unworkable processes.
The Gazette seeks to amend the Aarto Act in an attempt to make it easier to include e-toll infringements into the adjudication process by the RTIA.
In the statement Outa indicated that the modification to the infringement notice process through the use of a new form was flawed in many respects as it is designed to include multiple infringement entries being included onto a single page, seemingly to assist South African National Road Agency Limited (Sanral) in trying to treat the non-payment of e-tolls as a traffic violation.
Outa’s chairperson Wayne Duvenage reckoned that the new form was flawed in that it does not provide proof that the driver’s vehicle was at the scene of the incident noted, as there is no photograph provided for each and every infringement listed.
“There is also an absence of a unique reference number or magisterial district listed per incident, which is required for dispute resolution purposes,” he explained.
The public can submit their comments to the Department of transport on this Gazette to Mr Sello Mokubyane via email at MokubyaS@dot.gov.za or Advocate N. Thoka at Thokan@dot.gov.za.
Outa had made it easy for public to participate by providing a copy of the gazette, a copy of Outa’s submission as well as an e-mail template, on its website.
Duvenage concluded that more than 70 000 motorists have already submitted comments through their website. “This is a record and we are expecting to have more than 80 000 comments. Motorists have until tomorrow (6 January) evening to submit their objection,” he concluded.
Details: Outa 082 884 6652.
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