Sanral – E-tolls summonses a last resort

“We are currently following the debt collection route. The issuing of summons is the last resort,” the road agency’s spokesperson Vusi Mona said.

“We would much rather have road-users register for their e-toll accounts thereby avoiding the legal route.”

Mona said the roads agency had noticed an uptake in the number of drivers who were settling their accounts.

However, the agency remained concerned about the number of non-compliant motorists.

“Though our revenue collection is on target, road users who are not paying will find themselves with a huge debt as non-compliant users pay three times the standard tariff,” Mona said.

Meanwhile, the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa) said motorists must not be intimidated nor succumb to any incentives offered by Sanral.

“We advise motorists not to be intimidated by fear or be seduced by [discounts],” said Outa chairperson Wayne Duvenage.

“No regulatory system can possibly be sustained by treating people that are expected to finance the system as if they are criminals or stubborn mules.”

According to figures released by the Department Of Transport, motorists ran up a bill of more than half a billion rand in overdue e-tolls from 1 December 2013 to 1 March 2014.

A total of more than R543 million in unpaid tolls had been transferred to the road agency’s Violations Processing Centre, which manages debt collection.

Only nine percent of that amount, which excluded Vat, was collected thus far.

With Vat included, the total amount owed as of 1 March was nearly R620 million.

E-tolling was launched on 3 December, despite widespread opposition from politic parties, anti e-toll groups and Gauteng residents.

Most recently, the Economic Freedom Fighters commented on the contentious system during an electioneering advert.

The advert, which bore the slogan, ‘Destroy e-tolls physically’, was rejected by the SABC and was not aired.