Avis supports e-toll, sees positive impact

Scaly bastards

A final invoice would be available only two days after the vehicle was returned and would highlight the total e-toll amount, the company said.

“Avis will charge the standard e-toll tariff, per e-toll gantry, to a monthly maximum value of R450 as published in the Government Gazette,” it said.

“The standard tariff, which is higher than the tariff paid by registered e-tag users, is being charged to enable Avis to recover the costs of implementing systems and resources to manage e-toll compliance.”
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So if a customer hires a car for a month he is going to have debt collectors on his ass.

JStrike said:
Even if it does, so what? First world road infrastructure, paid the same way roads are paid for in Italy? I'll take it
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My apologies. I must have missed the other 17 posts about you that went to Italy that you posted today.
 
gregmcc said:
Let me guess. All the govt cars are rented from Avis.
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I think Avis is being singled out because Wayne Duvenage, chairman of Outa, is a former CEO of Avis. He left Avis after becoming chairman of Outa. I'm sure all car rental companies have a similar strategy
 
joelus said:
I think Avis is being singled out because Wayne Duvenage, chairman of Outa, is a former CEO of Avis. He left Avis after becoming chairman of Outa. I'm sure all car rental companies have a similar strategy
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Yes I'm sure I have seen etags on Europcar. Companies can't really protest like private citizens, I mean the rental ones can either charge the customer the full non tag amount or charge add the smaller costs to the rental fee. It's just sensible.
 
Keith Rankin (Avis CEO) just buzzed and said they've been misquoted in the media and do not support e-tolls. They're about to issue a clarification to the media, and also via social media.
 
Arthur said:
Keith Rankin (Avis CEO) just buzzed and said they've been misquoted in the media and do not support e-tolls. They're about to issue a clarification to the media, and also via social media.
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About time. Now we just need to find out why it is that they're trying to profit from the e-tolls...
 
Crowley said:
My apologies. I must have missed the other 17 posts about you that went to Italy that you posted today.
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Are you trying to insult me??
All I am saying is that it is perfectly valid method of implementing a User Pays principle, and it works amazing well in other places that I spend time in (They have a fuel levy, and Telepass, which is exactly the same as us)
 
JStrike said:
Are you trying to insult me??
All I am saying is that it is perfectly valid method of implementing a User Pays principle, and it works amazing well in other places that I spend time in (They have a fuel levy, and Telepass, which is exactly the same as us)
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But as we've addressed before, not an analogous comparison from an economic perspective, so carries little value within the context...
 
This just appeared on the Avis website.
Avis clarification said:
Media clarification on Avis' stance on E-Tolls

Avis Rent a Car South Africa would like to clarify the media release of yesterday relating to e-Tolls. Avis supports both the much needed Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP) upgrade and further planned improvements.

Unfortunately some media incorrectly reported that Avis, by supporting GFIP upgrades, also supports the implementation of eTolls as the funding mechanism. This view is incorrect. We believe that there are more effective and efficient funding mechanisms than the currently proposed e-Toll model.

The purpose of yesterday's media release was to inform our customers how Avis will charge and collect e-Tolls if and when implemented by SANRAL.
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JStrike said:
Are you trying to insult me??
All I am saying is that it is perfectly valid method of implementing a User Pays principle, and it works amazing well in other places that I spend time in (They have a fuel levy, and Telepass, which is exactly the same as us)
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In France they are so excited and happy about it that they are even burning the gantries to show their delight!!
 
I wonder if Avis has a case against Sanral here, on the basis of them misrepresenting Avis in the media, and potentially damaging their reputation and brand?
 
DJ... said:
I wonder if Avis has a case against Sanral here, on the basis of them misrepresenting Avis in the media, and potentially damaging their reputation and brand?
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Was it SANRAL or "Unfortunately some media incorrectly reported that Avis ..."?
 
“The introduction of e-tolls in Gauteng will be a new experience for us all,” Avis rent-a-car Southern Africa CEO Keith Rankin said in a statement.
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Yes, of course. But it is grim experience. Unnecessary and despicable. Nothing positive about it though. Needn't go Ra! Ra! about it, you macabre turncoats.
 
JStrike said:
Are you trying to insult me??
All I am saying is that it is perfectly valid method of implementing a User Pays principle, and it works amazing well in other places that I spend time in (They have a fuel levy, and Telepass, which is exactly the same as us)
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And you ignored the example I provided you of Portugal where it's an immense failure.
 
I've given some thought to the profiting off e-tolls problem that a lot of businesses could be faced with conundrum. The e-tolling system works on a usage basis BUT has caps now if you are metering your charges on the same usage basis a problem is introduced.

Some businesses will simply build the monthly load into the input costs and distribute accordingly but many businesses simply don't work that way and will need to pass on the costs which the billing structure doesn't conveniently allow for: When charging for disbursements where the AA tariff applies and tolls are added you will end up with a situation where the invoice would be bizarre if you have to redistribute the discounts and caps to your clients. I see a major problem for Avis and others because the e-tags will tell them that a vehicle as leased by person X has incurred millage Z unless that car hits the caps for the month but there is no guarantee that that will happen and there isn't full occupancy of vehicles so you cannot take the monthly cap and divide it down conveniently to a daily rate.

Basically it really does make business sense and doesn't overly offend fairness to the customer for the charge to be passed on in toto without the bulk discounts etc ... However this profiting on an evil does raise moral questions.

In my view this money should be put towards initiatives to hold SANRAL etc ... accountable - this is a moral statement and not one I advocate imposing on others - if the rental companies and so on however adopt such a policy of identifying profits from etolling and publicly pay this over to the opposition to tolling then the threat of a big wallop continues.


[This isn't a unique problem and frequently a business would profit from bulk discount structures etc ... Business use of a private vehicle lends itself to abuse and one of the reasons I advocate enterprises provide staff with company owned mobile communications devices or adopt a sensible BYOD policy comes from this]
 
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