The Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa) has lodged a subsidiary complaint against the SA National Roads Agency (Sanral) with the public protector, following what it says is "damning information" from a source inside the e-toll system.
According to the alliance, the source has confirmed its views of mismanagement stemming from Sanral having embarked on an "extremely high-risk strategy to develop an electronic tolling infrastructure for the entire country, without testing key assumptions or engaging sufficiently with key stakeholders".
This comes after Outa lodged an initial complaint with public protector Thuli Madonsela in January over e-toll billing problems.
Outa spokesperson John Clarke, who mediated the complaint, says he described Sanral as "arrogant and dangerous people who steam-roll public opinion, bully politicians and business people and do not act in the interests of the country".
Outa says it approached the public protector to investigate the claims in light of the "adversarial" relationship between itself and Sanral.
Breakthrough disclosure?
Outa chairman Wayne Duvenage describes the source's disclosures as a "breakthrough", which he hopes will start laying the table for meaningful multilateral engagement with all stakeholders "to transcend the mess" - as opposed to what he calls past ineffective talk shops hosted by the Inter-Ministerial Committee and other bodies over the past two years.
Duvenage says despite legal attempts to have the authorities "come to their senses" on the rationality and workability of e-tolling, the commencement of the system (on 3 December) has spawned a "multitude of problems".
He says the majority of freeway users are not fitting e-tags, nor are they prepared to foot the bill for a scheme Outa believes was never designed or implemented with the best interests of the people at its core.
"The system has been poorly planned with insufficient cognisance given to the practical workability, public support and a host of very probable unintended consequences at the outset."
The "whistleblower", says Duvenage, has been in a position to confirm Outa's suspicions. "I have also communicated with the minister of transport, as well as indicated our desire to brief the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport on our views and input on e-tolling."
He says, however, it would appear the climate and appetite for an intervention at this level is not right at this time.
"Fortunately, [public protector Thuli Madonsela] has proved herself a fearless protector of constitutional rights and the rule of law, so we have decided to steer things her way."
The complaint alleges abuse of power, dishonesty, maladministration and systemic problems in the risk assessment and management process within Sanral, dating back to the tender process and commencement of contractual negotiations with Kapsch TrafficCom, in 2007 and 2008.
Sanral had not responded to request for comment by the time of publication. ITWeb is awaiting an official response from Kapsch TrafficCom.
Outa's full submission to the public protector can be accessed here.
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