Sanral's e-toll threats

[Phillip Coetser]

Hi all, another threat to EToll non payers, and it looks like government is now going to implement stringent measures to collect outstanding Etoll fees, and I quote,

read more here (https://www.outa.co.za/) newsroom

Johannesburg,

Sanral's proposals to the parliamentary committee on transport this week about the various ways it intends to force motorists to pay outstanding e-toll bills are “nothing short of desperate threats” that will be extremely difficult to implement.

So said Wayne Duvenage, chief executive of the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa).

He said for the national roads agency to suggest that motorists’ vehicle licences would be withheld because of e-toll debt was ludicrous and illegal.

“Should they attempt to go down this road, Outa will engage with its legal advisers and the public to challenge these developments. The impact of using coercive tactics such as blocking vehicle re-licensing or vehicle sales in order to force the payment of e-tolls, would have negative unintended consequences.

Regards

[Phillip Coetser]

Etolls-Gantry-vehicles-on-highway-tolls-4-Large-1024x683-e1505152552153-627x418.jpg

Hi all, further to this topic, (https://citizen.co.za/news/south-africa ... y-e-tolls/)

Outa and other groups have slammed Sanral’s proposals to dock non-paying drivers’ licences, get Sars involved and refuse drivers insurance.

Parliament has asked the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) to halt its proposals to apply extreme measures to force motorists to pay e-tolls.

This after the agency was criticised by lobby groups opposed to e-tolls for suggesting in parliament that docking drivers’ licences could be allowed for motorists who failed to pay for the system.

It also wanted to have South African Revenue Service officials roped in to collect e-tolls debt.

Interesting times ahead for non EToll payers

Regards

[Phillip Coetser]

Hi all, and the story continues, and I quote,
E-toll summonses ~ https://www.fin24.com/Economy/summonses ... s-20180926
Summonses issued for e-toll non payments have increased nearly 20-fold over the past three years but collections are down, according to data supplied by the minister of transport to members of Parliament.
Transport Minister Blade Nzimande gave details on the number of summonses issued by the SA National Roads Agency since 2015, in a written reply to a question from DA MP Darren Bergman.
The reply showed that the number ballooned from 331 in 2015/16 to a whopping 6 626 in the 2017/18 year.
Treasury showed that so far, the entity had collected R5.6bn less in e-toll fees than budgeted.
And...….
On the other side, OUTA’s long-awaited battle over the constitutionality of e-tolls is slowly heading for court. These are different tools in the e-tolls war and both are set to continue for a very long time, even years.
Regards

[Phillip Coetser]

Hi all, I wonder ...…….and I quote...….E-tolls not part of the future of Gauteng – (https://citizen.co.za/news/south-africa ... g-makhura/)
‘We will have to work out how to pay for the roads but not through the e-tolls,’ the Gauteng premier reiterated.
The African National Congress (ANC) Gauteng provincial chairperson David Makhura today reiterated that e-tolls are not a part of the future of the province and that an alternative solution would have to be found in order to maintain and expand the road network.
“The e-tolls have not worked and the ANC in Gauteng does not support them. Let there be no confusion, they are not part of the future of this province. We will have to work out how to pay for the roads but not through the e-tolls,” said Makhura.

Regards

[Phillip Coetser]

Hi all, and the saga continues

Sanral’s 10c blunder on Gauteng roads costs the country billions, and I quote, (https://citizen.co.za/news/south-africa ... -billions/)

The billions wasted on unwanted, expensive e-tolls – the current costs of collection now stand at more than 90% – would’ve been saved.
Gauteng’s expensive improved freeway system would have been paid off this year if the SA National Road Agency (Sanral) had chosen a mere 10c per litre fuel levy as a viable user payment option.
And billions of rand would not have to be sent offshore to pay for the current electronic tolling system.
By not taking that option – and provoking a damaging boycott by motorists – Sanral’s e-toll portfolio is under such pressure that Finance Minister Tito Mboweni had to announce this week that the organisation would receive a government bailout of R5.8 billion to cover some of the growing Gauteng highway debt.

Regards

[Phillip Coetser]

Hi all, more on this topic, saga is still ongoing:

E-tolls have no future in Gauteng – David Makhura,
https://citizen.co.za/news/south-africa ... d-makhura/

Regards

[Phillip Coetser]

Hi all,....and it continues.....seems to me that this not going to stop soon, despite contradictory messages coming from government and I quote:

Makhura sticks to his guns on scrapping e-tolls...(https://citizen.co.za/news/south-africa ... g-e-tolls/)

‘We’ll thoroughly moer you in the elections’, Blade tells MPs on e-tolls....(https://citizen.co.za/news/south-africa ... n-e-tolls/)….contradictory messages coming from government, wonder

Regards

[Phillip Coetser]

Hi all, could this now be end to this ongoing saga?????

SANRAL Will Not Issue Any Further e-Toll Summonses to Road Users...(https://nari.co.za/articles/post/1541820452.html)
The answer provided by the Minister of Transport, Dr Blade Nzimande, to a parliamentary question confirms that summonses will no longer be issued for the non payment of Gauteng e-toll accounts.
In his response to written questions on the matter, the Minister stated that the summonses that have already been issued will be followed through and that changes will be made to claim outstanding funds.
On the one hand, the FF Plus considers the information encouraging seeing as road users will be relieved of the burden of further summonses, but on the other hand, the party considers proceeding with the legal processes of previously issued summonses to be a waste of time and money.
The Minister indicated that up to August 2018, R4,6 million had already been spent on legal fees relating to fines.
Given the fact that road users who received summonses have good legal ground to defend their case, the court cases will most probably be long and drawn out and bring about more unnecessary expenses. That money would be much better spent on repairing roads.
Regards