Outa puts brakes on e-toll claims for their members

The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) has managed to clinch a minor victory for their members.

Outa members are now provisionally immune from legal claims by Sanral for non-payment of e-tolls.

In a statement released by Outa, the organisation mentioned that until the completion of a test case process agreed to between Outa and Sanral that started in June this year, all current and future members represented by Outa are immune to prosecution for not paying e-tolls. With the test case which may take up to two years to complete, Outa aims to show that e-tolls are unlawful and should be scrapped.

“The agreement between Outa and Sanral effectively grants the entire Outa member community immunity until the case is complete. Our aim is to show that e-tolling is unlawful in the test case, and should we succeed, the stay of legal claims will become permanent,” said Wayne Duvenage, chairperson of Outa.

According to Outa’s statement, Sanral rejected Outa’s proposal to include the non-issuing of summons to the public at large in the agreement. Outa also stated that Sanral had indicated that they intended to continue applying legal action and summoning e-toll defaulters outside Outa’s membership base. “All indications are that new rounds of [summoning] are being issued by Sanral,” read Outa’s statement.

“One would imagine that Sanral would have halted their persecution [sic] of all e-toll defaulters, until Outa’s test case had reached its conclusion, however, Sanral has clearly indicated they intend to continue summoning e-toll defaulters and continuing legal action, regardless of this test case,” Duvenage explained.

“More worrying for Sanral is the fact that all their summonses issued between March 2016 and mid-August 2016, were seriously erroneous and significantly flawed…”

Outa has vowed to continue to fight the rights of society and do what is necessary to halt the e-tolls debacle.

Meanwhile, the DA has urged Gauteng residents who refuse to pay e-tolls to join Outa’s defence umbrella and said the party was confident that Outa had sufficient evidence and ability to successfully defend an e-toll non-compliance case.

To join the defence umbrella, people simply need to become contributing members of Outa through either monthly or annual membership contributions for businesses or individuals.

“It is our intention to fight for residents during consultation on existing tolling tariffs to prevent increases, and will ensure our Metro police officials will not harass motorists over their e-toll account status,” read a DA statement.