The Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa) has welcomed transport minister Dipuo Peters' announcements regarding time concessions for e-tolls and the suspension of plans to prosecute motorists with unpaid bills.
In a statement released today, Outa chairman Wayne Duvenage said while relaxed payment conditions were welcome, it did not make the system any more rational.
"There is never a dull day in the e-toll fiasco. As far as the relaxed conditions of payment goes, whilst there appears to be ambiguity and confusion surrounding the tariff qualification, the simple reality is that easier payment conditions and qualifications for the various tariff structures does not reduce the cost of the e-toll collection process," he said.
Peters said in her budget vote speech this week that ongoing reviews of the system had prompted the department to introduce certain concessions. Over a million motorists have failed to pay their e-toll bills, according to Justice Project SA (JPSA).
Peters said the Department of Transport (DOT) and Sanral have introduced a "reprieve for affected motorists" in the form of an extension of the payment period - from seven days to 51 - as well as time of day discounts. Registered motorists will get a 48% e-tag holder discount, time of day and frequent user discounts and a R450 calendar month cap for light vehicles.
"Before the 'reprieve', Sanral was insisting on payment of e-toll bills within seven days of travel, without providing an invoice," says Outa.
Duvenage says the concessions came as soon as officials realised their hardline stance put them between a rock and a hard place. "Besides making it impossible in the absence of an invoice for any business or individual to qualify for the discounted tariff structures within seven days, we can now clearly deduce from these concessions is that the NPA have realized that the unworkable conditions would made it very onerous on the State to make criminal charges stick," he says.
"The prosecution process would have been like trying to climb a cliff in a monsoon. That explains the 51 day extension," he adds.
According to Outa consultant John Clarke, "Sanral's coercion tactic of parking e-toll vans at Gauteng traffic police road-blocks has now also been unmasked as a desperate effort to try and drive up levels of compliance to try and make the system viable".
Outa notes that the current estimate is that only 40% compliance has been achieved and public defiance has "highlighted what happens when you forget to engage with the very people you need for success".
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