The tariff structure for e-tolling has not been finalised, says the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral).
This is despite estimates from official sources that e-tolling could cost the average person between R700 and R1 000 a month, if they pass two tolls, in each direction, per day.
The e-tolling system is an open road, multi-lane toll system that allows for tolls to be charged without drivers having to stop. There are no physical booths.
“Overhead gantries will be fitted with the toll collection equipment that will recognise the electronic transponder (e-tag) in a vehicle, toll will be deducted from a user's registered e-toll account and they will be able to travel without any disruption,” says Sanral.
It adds that 28 of the 42 toll gantries have been erected so far.
E-tolling forms part of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP) and is expected to roll out in the first half of 2011. The 185km of new toll infrastructure will see the N1 to Pretoria, Johannesburg ring roads and the R21 to Pretoria, become electronic tolling zones.
Elusive pricing
Senior project manager for the GFIP Alex van Niekerk says the toll tariff and discount structure have not been finalised.
“There are too many variables that can influence the cost of toll for a specific person (where one enters and exits the road, what time of day, what type of vehicle, does the vehicle have an e-tag, is it a frequent user, in terms of the discount structure) and it is, therefore, very difficult to estimate costs until the tariff and discount structure have been announced.”
Sanral says it is considering discounts for e-tag holders that are frequent users, time of the day discounts and discounts for public transport vehicles.
The agency also says visitors to Gauteng can phone or visit the customer care centre to register or obtain a day pass. If they do not register, they will receive an invoice and be given a set time to pay the toll fees they incurred.
The toll fees will be used to pay back the loans that were used to pay for the development of the infrastructure upgrades, the operations and maintenance costs of the road, according to Van Niekerk.
Sources close to the process have admitted the current expenditure would not have been necessary, had government upgraded highways as the need arose, a few years ago.
Technical safe-house
Sanral has also built structures next to the gantries to house the electronic and communication equipment required for collecting and storing toll transactions.
“Toll transactions are recorded and passed through the communications system to the transaction clearing house for processing,” explains Van Niekerk. He adds that strict security measures are being put in place at these buildings.
Sanral appointed the Electronic Toll Collection joint venture - a consortium led by intelligent road traffic telematics company Kapsch Sweden - as the contractor to implement and operate the system. The e-tolling contract cost R1.16 billion.
Fake plates
Another method for detecting cars passing the tolling gantries will be by the vehicle's number plates being photographed from the front and back.
This is part of the verification process, as well as an alternative method for those cars that do not have an e-tag, says Van Niekerk.
He says the intelligent number plates project will not affect the e-tolling system in any way.
Law enforcement on the network will increase, with regards to fraudulent number plates, according to Sanral. “Special law enforcement vehicles are being developed and equipped with number plate recognition equipment.”
Pay up
The Department of Transport has revealed how billing for the electronic tolling stations will work. However, some questions still remain on whether the department will have the capacity to deal with unregistered vehicles, non-payment by motorists and fraudulent number plates.
Transport minister Sibusiso Ndebele said motorists could pay via a prepaid or a guaranteed postpaid account.
The prepaid account would work the same as a cellphone or electricity prepaid account, and would be available to any road user - banked or unbanked.
The account-holder will also be able to top up the account through various points, such as kiosks, transport satellite centres, or through Internet banking and selected ATMs.
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