Make e-tolls unworkable

BBSA

BBSA

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http://www.fin24.com/Economy/Make-e-tolls-unworkable-motorists-told-20130411
Calls have been made asking Gauteng motorists not to purchase e-tags and to make electronic tolling unworkable, after roads agency Sanral said it will begin charging motorists within the next two months.

DA leader in the Gauteng legislature Jack Bloom said on Thursday even at this late stage government should reconsider its decision as mounting public resistance could make e-tolling unworkable.

"It's the government versus the people of Gauteng now that Sanral has announced... that e-tolls... will start within two months," he said in a statement.

He was responding to the SA National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) who said e-tolling will begin within the next two months.

"Sanral faces an uphill battle in getting public acceptance," said Bloom.

Sanral spokesperson Vusi Mona said in a statement: "What we are now waiting for is the completion of the parliamentary process, half of which is already done"

Cosatu criticises roll-out announcement

"We condemn the announcement by Sanral, which is arrogantly made even before both houses of Parliament have passed the legislation to legitimise e-tolling," Congress of SA Trade Unions spokesperson Patrick Craven said in a statement.

Cosatu remained opposed in principle to the move to privatise public highways and create a two-tier public transport service, he said.

"Thousands of workers will have to pay tolls as there is no realistic alternative way for them to travel to and from work and arrive on time. Even non-motorists will be hit hard by the inevitable price increases as transport companies would pass on the cost of tolls to consumers."

Mass protests would take place over the coming weeks, Craven said.

Outa not worried by e-toll launch

Plans to start e-tolling in Gauteng in the next two months do not upset the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa), chairperson Wayne Duvenage said.

"[We are] not surprised or fazed by the SA National Roads Agency Limited's (Sanral) announcement. We've heard it all before," he said in a statement.

Sanral was not ready to launch, he said.

"It has been seven months since the Constitutional Court set aside the initial interdict to allow Sanral to start tolling... something they claimed they could and would do within two weeks of a ruling in their favour. We wonder what the real reasons are that this is taking them so long."

Duvenage said people should not be fooled by Sanral's claims that 78% of motorists would be paying less than R100 per month in toll fees.

"Averages can be very deceiving."

A daily commuter travelling between Tshwane and Johannesburg, or the East and West Rand, would pay well over R300 per month, he said.

E-tolling bill

"As soon as the National Council of Provinces finalises the Transport and Related Matters Amendment bill, the bill will go back to the National Assembly for adoption."

The bill legalises e-tolling of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project and was approved in the National Assembly.

Mona said Transport Minister Ben Martins would then announce the tariffs, followed by the necessary notice periods.

"That whole process will take about two months to complete. Thereafter e-tolling will start," said Mona.

"We have a responsibility to collectively build this country and are grateful that there are individual and corporate citizens who see the value of this project and are prepared to play their part in this regard."

E-tags

Mona advised motorists not to wait for the outcome of the appeal before registering for their e-tags.

However, Bloom said that the DA supports motorists who exercise their free choice not to buy an e-tag. Cosatu also appealed to motorists not to buy e-tags and make the system unworkable.

Bloom said Gauteng had four million registered vehicles, and that Sanral's claim that 600 000 vehicles had been registered for e-tags mostly included government vehicles rather than citizens' vehicles.

"The e-toll booths in shopping centres have not attracted many customers at all," said Bloom.

Bloom also said that his party will challenge the process, which could halt the two month countdown.

"There may well be further delays in the e-tolls as the DA will insist on public hearings in the Gauteng legislature on the Transport and Related Matters Amendment Bill."

Judicial review

In April last year, the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria granted the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa) an interdict approving a full judicial review before electronic tolling could be put into effect.

The interdict prevented Sanral from levying or collecting e-tolls pending the outcome of a review. Sanral and the National Treasury appealed the court order.

In September, the Constitutional Court set aside the interim order.

In December, an application by Outa to scrap e-tolling was dismissed by the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria.

The court granted Outa leave, on January 25, to take the matter to the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) in Bloemfontein.

The SCA hearing will take place in September.

Mona said the appeal had nothing to do with "whether e-tolling should go ahead or not".

"That question was settled by the Constitutional Court last year when it set aside the interdict that prevented Sanral from implementing e-tolling."

Duvenage, however, noted that it was wrong for Sanral to state Outa's legal challenge to halt e-tolling was of no consequence.
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As soon as people realise that they're paying whiel some aren't, they're going to chuck their devices or make an excuse that they left it in their other car
 
Europcar has an etag in all of its vehicles. I guess they never know where a particular vehicle may end up but I driven plenty with non Gauteng number plates that all have the tags. I am sure their fleet runs into the thousands across the country.

Perhaps if SANRAL told us how many 'owners' have registered rather than how many vehicles we'd be able to giggle at their claims even more.
 
I'm working on a device that reflects light off my windscreen and my numberplate whenever it detects such a theft-device :D
 
froot said:
I'm working on a device that reflects light off my windscreen and my numberplate whenever it detects such a theft-device :D
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I'm working on a device that automatically raises my middle finger every time I drive under one of those gantries.
 
froot said:
I'm working on a device that reflects light off my windscreen and my numberplate whenever it detects such a theft-device :D
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Careful with that. If you get stopped at a roadblock and an eagle eye cop spots it, you could be arrested on the spot. Defeating/obstructing the ends of justice.
 
I'd like to dedicate this video to SANRAL and all the Government lackey's trying to push e-tags on us:

[video=youtube;XHo8_P_H7y0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHo8_P_H7y0&feature=share[/video]
 
kat06sa said:
Careful with that. If you get stopped at a roadblock and an eagle eye cop spots it, you could be arrested on the spot. Defeating/obstructing the ends of justice.
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Was a joke. I rarely drive on the highway so I'm not even getting a tag.
 
Can't someone steal the cables like they do with Telkom lines ?
I guess we paying the rent for the stores in Menlyn and everywhere else, and the salaries to the staff for something that won't get off the ground.

Waste of our HARD-EARNED money.
 
DreamKing said:
I have no surprise for next few months some Nigerians will sell me some "decoded etags."
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And what will this do?

Cemera records all number plates. Sensor records all tags. Match is done between number plates and tags. All unmatched number plates have invoice raised.

Let's assume your number plate matches the decoded tag.

A debit is raised against your tag. If there are no funds associated with the tag an invoice will be raised against the number plate associated with the tag, i.e they have your details. Unless your Nigerian buddies are hacking into SANRAL and editting the balance per number plate all that is going to happen is that you'll be out of pocket for the decoded tag and you'll still owe on the toll.

The way you break this system is by not registering - they have to raise invoices for every number plate.
 
Albereth said:
And what will this do?

Cemera records all number plates. Sensor records all tags. Match is done between number plates and tags. All unmatched number plates have invoice raised.

Let's assume your number plate matches the decoded tag.

A debit is raised against your tag. If there are no funds associated with the tag an invoice will be raised against the number plate associated with the tag, i.e they have your details. Unless your Nigerian buddies are hacking into SANRAL and editting the balance per number plate all that is going to happen is that you'll be out of pocket for the decoded tag and you'll still owe on the toll.

The way you break this system is by not registering - they have to raise invoices for every number plate.
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Or, a better simple idea: "Borrow" some number plates from randomly parked cars, strap em on your car and bam... free roads AND admin nightmare for etolls.
 
Why is this etollie being forced down our throats?

I am not impressed with this. Time to flex our collective muscle.
 
I had the displeasure of being up on the reef this week, the rental car I had beeped everytime I went through the gantries. I wondered though, what would happen if a big truck took one of them out? How would the calculations between the previous and next one be worked out?
 
Fudzy said:
I had the displeasure of being up on the reef this week, the rental car I had beeped everytime I went through the gantries. I wondered though, what would happen if a big truck took one of them out? How would the calculations between the previous and next one be worked out?
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There are no calculations between the previous and next one.
 
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