'e-Tolls doomed from the start'

01 December 2015 - 17:05 By Tmg Digital

The E-Tolls were launched in Gauteng on 3 December 2013‚ two years ago‚ and right from the start‚ they were doomed to failure‚ says OUTA. OUTA‚ the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance‚ released a statement on Tuesday to say that the toll system was launched “despite overwhelming public dissension and warnings that it would not be an effective ‘user-pays’ mechanism to service the Gauteng freeway upgrade bonds”.The alliance said it had published research at the time that predicted what eventually did happen: low collection rates‚ a lack of public support and instead public outrage‚and a lack of support from opposition parties‚ the labour movement‚ civil action groups and business associations.OUTA said that to work‚ the e-toll system needed a high degree of public support and an alternative transport system. Also‚ pricing and billing systems would need to be user-friendly‚ and the technology would have to be reliable and efficient.Instead‚ there were few alternative routes available for those who wanted to bypass the tolls‚ the tariff rate system was extremely complicated and the e-Natis system was responsible for millions of billing errors.“Of the roughly R8 billion invoiced over the past two years at discounted tariffs‚ only R1‚8 billion (or 23%) was collected and virtually all of this has been spent on the collection process managed by Kapsch TrafficCom’s ETC (Electronic Tolling Collection company) and its supplier companies. Virtually nothing has been directed toward servicing the road construction debt‚” OUTA said.OUTA said a “host of other incidents” affected the integrity of the tolling system‚ including problems with the Competition Commission regarding collusion in the construction of the tolling booths‚ misleading advertising‚ inflated sales figures‚ inaccurate gantry information‚ and the impossibility of prosecuting non-paying users‚ among other things.“Over the past year‚ the e-toll scheme’s collection process has literally been kept on ‘life support’ by government vehicles and a handful of large logistic and fleet based organisations‚ who are fed up with the scheme but do not have an appetite to rock government’s boat‚” OUTA said.“One would imagine that given this backdrop‚ the authorities would have come to their senses and halted this expensive irrational scheme‚ further sparing the taxpayer millions of rands on a wasteful e-toll marketing campaign‚” says Wayne Duvenage‚ OUTA’s Chairman.“Instead‚ Sanral have tirelessly launched failed campaign after campaign‚ with their latest 60% discount being a desperate 'last roll of the dice'‚ to claw back some of the six billion rands in unpaid e-toll bills.”..

There’s never been a more important time to support independent media.

From World War 1 to present-day cosmopolitan South Africa and beyond, the Sunday Times has been a pillar in covering the stories that matter to you.

For just R80 you can become a premium member (digital access) and support a publication that has played an important political and social role in South Africa for over a century of Sundays. You can cancel anytime.

Already subscribed? Sign in below.



Questions or problems? Email helpdesk@timeslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00.