Two months on from the implementation of what has been one of the most contentious issues between government and Gauteng citizens, in particular, over the past two years, and the backlash to e-tolls continues unabated.
Since Gauteng's e-roads – 45 gantries across the province's highways – went live on 3 December, the SA National Roads Agency (Sanral) has come under fire for a number of issues. While many of these emerged post-implementation, a chunk originated from public defiance ahead of e-tolling in Gauteng, which civil society groups fought tooth and nail to prevent.
In the last month alone, Sanral has been hit with criticism over its lax online security that left users vulnerable to online predators, an inefficient billing system resulting in erroneous invoices – perceived by many as threatening – being sent out, and has suffered three serious disruptions to its central operations centre (COC) due to anthrax and bomb threats.
Taxi tempers
This morning, the National Taxi Alliance (NTA) held a protest across major Johannesburg highway routes "against government's failure to issue operating licences to its members" resulting in some taxi operators having to pay for e-tolls – despite the public transport vehicles being deemed e-toll exempt.
Sanral says there are a number of taxi operators that have not yet received their operating licences from the Department of Transport (DOT), and so "the system does not recognise their vehicles as exempt and they are being billed".
Sanral spokesperson Vusi Mona says the roads agency is taking interim measures to assist taxi operators that are being billed, while they await their licences. "We have asked the taxi associations to give us lists of their members' vehicles, with all the necessary documentation, so that they can be loaded on to the system and can be identified as exempt vehicles."
Taxi operators that have been billed already, he says, will receive a credit note and will not be held liable for the outstanding amounts.
Sanral has been accused of letting taxis off the hook out of fear, but the state-owned agency says the accusations are unfounded and untrue.
A few months ago, Outa contested the fact that taxis – which it said do not constitute public transport – received "free passage". The alliance said the decision was introduced shortly prior to the planned initial launch date in early 2011, as the taxi industry had threatened to blockade the freeways and boycott the system should taxis be forced to pay e-toll fees.
Mona responded by saying no one is excluded from using public transport – including taxi services. "Then you have people who own their own vehicles, who can afford to pay for the maintenance of improved roads."
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