Citizens and the government have had their differences and debates on the issue of e-tolling - and now it is time to move on, as the system has been deemed legal and will go live on 3 December.
So said transport minister Dipuo Peters, speaking at a site visit of the SA National Roads Agency's (Sanral's) Midrand operations centre yesterday - a week before the controversial open road tolling project is set to start running.
The Department of Transport (DOT) said the minister's visit was for the purpose of conducting an assessment of the "readiness of the rolling out of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project" - the multibillion-rand roads upgrade responsible for the latest road tax, e-tolls.
Peters said Sanral is ready and the DOT expects "a smooth beginning" to the collection of tolls, come 3 December. She says South Africans are sensible people and she believes they will ultimately buy in to the system. Sanral previously said it believed motorists were merely adopting a "wait and see" stance, and that - now that the announcement of commencement has been made - the agency expects elevated sales of e-tags.
The Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance, however, has expressed doubt about the state roads agency's ability to cope with the number of motorists who are still anti the system and who are likely to refuse to comply.
Peters says Sanral has had time to test the system in a live environment since last year and that "billing is just one component of the system".
System software
Outlining the system that will underpin the collection of toll fares from all motorists - except public transport and emergency vehicles - on Gauteng's highways, Peters noted the system, which operates out of the Midrand building, began implementing Sanral on-road services in a phased manner in May last year and is made possible by high-definition cameras monitoring Gauteng's e-roads.
"On-road services comprise emergency medical responses in the event of an incident, towing services and constant monitoring of traffic flow on the Gauteng freeway network."
The service fleet, she says, comprises 10 light motor-vehicle-towing other vehicles, eight heavy-vehicle towing vehicles, 10 incident response vehicles for scene safety and control, and an additional six medical response vehicles equipped with intermediate life support equipment and six medics on bikes.
"Cameras that are mounted on the gantries enable us to capture every vehicle that is using the e-tolled network and those images are relayed back to this centre to talk to the data we have of every vehicle. In an automated and electronic manner, the transaction associated with every vehicle takes place."
Peters says, while international partners provided the hardware for the e-toll system, "at least 90% of the software that is the backbone of the system was developed locally".
In an attempt to dispel what she says is a myth - that the e-toll system was developed offshore and would benefit offshore companies - Peters said: "There are local firms that are participants and service providers of various aspects of the system."
She points out that the e-toll project has necessitated a certain amount of spend - and that more would still need to be spent on it in future. However, she says, motorists' and citizens' fees will be going towards "good causes and strategic priorities".
Meanwhile, the system still faces challenges and widespread public resistance. The Democratic Alliance (DA) has challenged the constitutionality of the Transport Laws and Related Matters Amendment Bill (E-toll Bill) and is awaiting a hearing date.
The Congress of SA Trade Unions has vowed to keep fighting through organised highway go-slows. The Freedom Front Plus has asked the High Court to consider its application for an interdict against the implementation of the E-Toll Act before 3 December - based on the same premise the DA has put forth.
Sanral and the DOT continue to urge motorists to buy an e-tag so that they can benefit from the 48% discount this will give them when passing through the 45 gantries across Gauteng.
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