The provincial government, Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni municipalities have paid a total of R2.7 million to the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) since the inception of e-tolling last December, reports the Sunday Times.
The paper this morning notes this is far short of the R260 million Sanral expects to collect every month. It notes the four government entities spent just R767 000 on e-tolling in the first four months the system was live, but this has grown to R1.3 million.
This City of Johannesburg spends R56 000 a month, while Tshwane spends around R42 000 and Ekurhuleni's bill is about R10 000 a month, notes the paper.
The Sunday Times adds Sanral declined to answer questions on payment compliance, instead referring it to its 2014 annual report.
This annual report shows Sanral may not be likely to claw back all the debt charged to users that has fallen outside its seven-day grace period. The report, for the year to March, shows it earned R1.145 billion from the controversial system.
This, assuming Sanral's claim of 2.5 million motorists using the electronic freeways monthly is accurate, means each user is only forking out R114.50 a month.
In notes to its financial statements, it says - of the R2.27 billion charged in total - R1.123 billion was not recognised "because the probability/reliable measurement" has not been met. It adds this amount, which falls outside the seven-day grace period, is unlikely to be collected - or "realised" - because it has no historical information upon which to base trends, including the likely outcome of prosecution.
Transport minister Dipou Peters has placed a moratorium on prosecutions until billing issues are sorted out, and also extended carrots to motorists in a bid to get them to pay up. Sanral's annual report indicates the billing system "initially started with a few hiccups and Sanral is working around the clock to ensure these teething problems are ironed out as time proceeds".
The Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance estimates compliance with e-toll bills at about 30%.
Share