GP motorists urged to register for e-tolling

Published on 28-02-2012 11:23 PM

253 Comments

Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport Ismail Vadi has urged Gauteng motorists to register for the e-tolling system and get their e-tags ahead of the implementation of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Programme (GFIP).

"Registering for e-tolling is the right thing to do. We want all motorists in the province to register for their e-tolling accounts so that they can get their e-tags," said Vadi during a post-State of the Province Address media briefing at the Gauteng Legislature on Tuesday.

The implementation of the e-tolls system was halted in January after a public outcry over the fees. However, government is set to commence the programme from 30 April after Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan announced a special approbation of R5.8 billion to reduce the toll burden on motorists as a result of the GFIP.

The R5.8 billion, to be included in the 2011/12 expenditure, is aimed at reducing the debt to be repaid through the toll system, and will make a steeper discount possible for regular road users. The contribution by government will ensure that tariffs are reduced by up to half the price for e-tag holders.

The total debt associated with Gauteng freeway programme is R20 billion.

Some unions have since rejected the proposal and are planning a march against the implementation of the e-toll system.

Last week, Cabinet approved the Gauteng tolling system with effect from 30 April, with the tolling fees scheduled to be gazetted this week.

Cabinet spokesperson Jimmy Manyi warned that the law would take its course against those planning to disrupt the implementation of the system.

"This is a legal matter and Cabinet will not tolerate any disobedience to the law. It must be clear that if anyone is not obeying the law, then the law will take its course... We are marching forward and people must not have any illusions that this will go away, the tolls are a reality," he said.

The new fee structure will see drivers of e-tag vehicles pay 30 cents a kilometer, instead of 66 cents as originally planned.

There will also be a monthly cap of R550 for frequent users. In addition, there will be a 15 percent discount in the rates after their toll fees reach R400.

Drivers of motorcycles will pay 20c per kilometre and non-articulated and articulated trucks would pay 75c and R1.51 per kilometre respectively.

Heavy vehicles will qualify for a 20 percent discount if they use the roads during off-peak times in the day.

Taxis and other public transport operators will be exempt from toll fees.

Categories:
General SA News

253 Comments

alloytoo - 29-02-2012, 10:42 PM
- Reply
Originally Posted by Bundu

you guys should not waste energy to try and circumvent the system - we have to destroy the system by letting it collapse through admin overload - to do that, we need to not register for e-tags, use the roads as normal, wait for the accounts and then dispute all or some of the entries with "not my car, was not there that day, must be duplicate number plate" - the admin this would result in, would ensure the system fails and should then be replaced with a simple fuel levy

Has no one considered the option of cloning e-Tags?

Clone the tag and assign an ID related to the toll company/government/BEE company. Hand them out like candy, make an etag about as useful as a Zim Dollar.

Garyvdh - 29-02-2012, 10:45 PM
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Originally Posted by alloytoo

Has no one considered the option of cloning e-Tags?

Clone the tag and assign an ID related to the toll company/government/BEE company. Hand them out like candy, make an etag about as useful as a Zim Dollar.

Won't work, the e-tag is reconciled to the make of car and license plate in real time and if they don't match it triggers an alarm.

Fudzy - 29-02-2012, 10:48 PM
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Originally Posted by Bundu

you guys should not waste energy to try and circumvent the system - we have to destroy the system by letting it collapse through admin overload - to do that, we need to not register for e-tags, use the roads as normal, wait for the accounts and then dispute all or some of the entries with "not my car, was not there that day, must be duplicate number plate" - the admin this would result in, would ensure the system fails and should then be replaced with a simple fuel levy

Are you suggesting lying in these disputes?

Bundu - 29-02-2012, 10:50 PM
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Originally Posted by Fudzy

Are you suggesting lying in these disputes?

yip, why not, our 'masters' lying as well - fair fight

Fudzy - 29-02-2012, 10:54 PM
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Masters?

Might find yourself getting arrested, depends on whether lying about that type of thing is considered a traffic offence.

Bundu - 29-02-2012, 10:57 PM
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Originally Posted by Fudzy

Masters?

Might find yourself getting arrested, depends on whether lying about that type of thing is considered a traffic offence.

masters = corrupt guavamint that believe they don't have to consult the tax payers

To get arrested THEY need to prove a crime..... and if we work together, how will they manage the number of people that need to get arrested

Fudzy - 29-02-2012, 11:11 PM
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Originally Posted by Bundu

masters = corrupt guavamint that believe they don't have to consult the tax payers

To get arrested THEY need to prove a crime..... and if we work together, how will they manage the number of people that need to get arrested

You were not consulted? How long ago did you first hear about the gantries? Here is a story from 2008:

http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-afri...-cost-1.395204

You were not 'consulted' because whoever you voted for did not or failed to represent your opposition for this proposal.

I just think your way is just going to end up costing yourself as well as all other tax payers A WHOLE LOT MORE money. The DA are already sending court orders and if it goes through, don't worry. This is (hopefully) going to cost the ANC it's middle-class voters as well.

Bundu - 29-02-2012, 11:21 PM
- Reply
Originally Posted by Fudzy

You were not consulted? How long ago did you first hear about the gantries? Here is a story from 2008:

http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-afri...-cost-1.395204

You were not 'consulted' because whoever you voted for did not or failed to represent your opposition for this proposal.

I just think your way is just going to end up costing yourself as well as all other tax payers A WHOLE LOT MORE money. The DA are already sending court orders and if it goes through, don't worry. This is (hopefully) going to cost the ANC it's middle-class voters as well.

The 1st time I heard about the exorbitant cost of the toll collection system, which is still not quite clear, was after the gantries were being built....
I voted for the DA and they are today still opposing the urban e-tolls, for various reasons

sometimes one has to cut your nose to spite your face..... and teach somebody a lesson

there are numerous other 'projects' that the ANC is fiddling with and if they all result in a similar disaster, we're farked

Fudzy - 29-02-2012, 11:27 PM
- Reply
Originally Posted by Bundu

The 1st time I heard about the exorbitant cost of the toll collection system, which is still not quite clear, was after the gantries were being built....

So you didn't have an issue with the toll itself then?

Bundu - 29-02-2012, 11:32 PM
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Originally Posted by Fudzy

So you didn't have an issue with the toll itself then?

I would pay it, reluctantly, if it was added to the fuel price (not that I would have then had an option)

My main gripes are: present road related taxes are not ring fenced and e-toll collection admin costs are unacceptable and do not have a business case - actually quite simple...

Mila - 01-03-2012, 05:28 AM
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Fibre. Dear thieves. The fibre has a Kevlar coat.

Dear cable thieves Copper...

Albereth - 01-03-2012, 07:14 AM
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Originally Posted by Fudzy

Are you suggesting lying in these disputes?

Not at all - just ask for photographic evidence

Albereth - 01-03-2012, 07:16 AM
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Originally Posted by Garyvdh

Won't work, the e-tag is reconciled to the make of car and license plate in real time and if they don't match it triggers an alarm.

So it gets worse - they want you to get an etag per vehicle.

On top of that, they underspeced the eNatis system - I wonder how much computer budget was pocketed in this 'project'

Sinbad - 01-03-2012, 07:34 AM
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Originally Posted by Albereth

So it gets worse - they want you to get an etag per vehicle.

Awesome. When they make the tags compulsory (if they ever manage) I'll somehow manage to put mine and my fiancee's tags in the wrong vehicles ... More admin nightmare for them to sort out.

Albereth - 01-03-2012, 07:49 AM
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Originally Posted by Sinbad

Awesome. When they make the tags compulsory (if they ever manage) I'll somehow manage to put mine and my fiancee's tags in the wrong vehicles ... More admin nightmare for them to sort out.

There is a little nightmare waiting for them there too.

So where would you put an etag if you had one? (Besides up Vadi's butt) Would you connect it to your keyring? And then taking a drive with a mate? He has his etag too so when the two of you go under the gantry the system won't pick up your car. Now if it was just one car it would be fairly easy to decide that only one etag should be billed and that is the one 'linked' to the number plate.

Okay - at the same time that you drive under the gantry, a decent person (ie one without an etag) drives alongside. Now, do they assume that you are in the other car and bill you and not bill the non-etag car, or what?

And governments, the world over, have struggled to make any compulsory purchase stick. So they'll probably end up trying to issue them for free - and boy do those things break easily.

Sinbad - 01-03-2012, 07:54 AM
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I suspect my number plate may also be altered to read something along the lines of BOFH';truncate table tollpass

purely by accident, of course.

Messugga - 01-03-2012, 07:57 AM
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Originally Posted by Albereth

There is a little nightmare waiting for them there too.

So where would you put an etag if you had one? (Besides up Vadi's butt) Would you connect it to your keyring? And then taking a drive with a mate? He has his etag too so when the two of you go under the gantry the system won't pick up your car. Now if it was just one car it would be fairly easy to decide that only one etag should be billed and that is the one 'linked' to the number plate.

Okay - at the same time that you drive under the gantry, a decent person (ie one without an etag) drives alongside. Now, do they assume that you are in the other car and bill you and not bill the non-etag car, or what?

And governments, the world over, have struggled to make any compulsory purchase stick. So they'll probably end up trying to issue them for free - and boy do those things break easily.

The eTags are supposed to be stuck to the windscreen, around the area of your rear view mirror. It's not a portable thing.

The gantries scan down and are capable of judging position. Figuring out which car between two or more has an etag is childsplay for it.

Sinbad - 01-03-2012, 07:58 AM
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Originally Posted by Messugga

The eTags are supposed to be stuck to the windscreen, around the area of your rear view mirror. It's not a portable thing.

The gantries scan down and are capable of judging position. Figuring out which car between two or more has an etag is childsplay for it.

And if you have 2 cars? You have to pay for two accounts, with double overheads etc?

fukdat.

lcbxx - 01-03-2012, 07:58 AM
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Here is a song for SANRAL & Gauteng Municipality on e-tolling ('scuse the profanity in the video title):

Messugga - 01-03-2012, 08:06 AM
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Originally Posted by Sinbad

And if you have 2 cars? You have to pay for two accounts, with double overheads etc?

fukdat.

Did they at any point come across as being reasonable?