E-tolling became operational this morning and defiant motorists are expected to flood alternative routes to avoid paying. About 2.5million motorists use the tolled highways. The SA National Roads Agency yesterday refused to say how many people had bought e-tags but the previously disclosed number was 707000. Opposition groups argue that the burden of sending payment notices to motorists passing though the gantries will be too cumbersome to sustain. The imposition of such an e-tolling system requires the collaboration of the people to make it work, church groups said. If enough people refuse to collaborate, such systems inevitably falter and ultimately fail. Though it is our duty to encourage obedience to the law, this is dependent on the law being just and reasonable, and the e-tolling law fails that test. A last-minute court bid to stave off e-tolls was dismissed yesterday. The Pretoria High Court said the Toll Gate Action Group, which includes the Freedom Front Plus, had failed to make out their case as to why their application should be treated urgently. Jeremy Gauntlett SC, for the Transport Ministry, argued yesterday that the groups application had been self-serving and constituted cowboy litigation because there had been a luxurious time frame in which to institute proceedings. Judge Maria Jansen held that the groups argument did not overcome the separation of powers threshold that would allow the judiciary to interfere in the functioning and decisions of the executive and parliament. The Constitutional Court had been mindful of this when dismissing the Opposition to Urban e-Tolling Alliances application for an order stopping e-tolling earlier this year. Despite the defeat in court, Cosatu and the DA were adamant that they would not stop campaigning against e-tolling. We are opposed in principle to what we see as a form of privatisation of what ought to be a public asset, and we are encouraging people not to buy e-tags or register with Sanral, said Cosatu spokesman Patrick Craven. The DAs Mmusi Maimane said the party has a plan to fight this unjust system, which includes a legal bid to reclassify the legislation governing the roll-out of e-tolling. Today, the defiance campaign will be intensified. An aircraft towing an anti-tolling banner will fly over tolled highways across the province, he said. Peggy Drodskie, chief operations officer of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, sounded a cautionary note about costs. Tolls get increased every year. There is no indication whatsoever that these will not be increased as other tolls are increased, she said. There are concerns about the ability of alternative non-tolled routes to absorb the expected increase in traffic. There will be pressure on the roads, which will be worse in January, said Dr Vaughn Mostert, a transport and logistics expert at the University of Johannesburg. That could lead to some motorists returning to the tolled road s. The Johannesburg Roads Agency yesterday said it had no plans for the expected influx on its roads but was ready to deal with congestion. City of Ekurhuleni spokesman Mandlakazi Mpahlwa-Sigcawu said that the metro police had contingency plans. Suspended Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi tweeted: Cowards die many times before they die - we will resist #etolls till the very end - the people united will never be defeated!! How it works Motorists can register for an e-account online, at a mall, at roadside facilities or with the call centre at 0800726725. Register your e-account at an outlet and pay cash or use your credit or debit card. You can also register your credit card and Sanral will take off the amount daily at midnight. Contact the call centre to top up using the interactive voice response technology or top up online using your e-account credentials. You can also use your debit card to set up a renewal service and top-up amount. When your account reaches a preset minimum, Sanral will send you an alert and top up the account. If you are uncomfortable with providing your bank details, open a prepaid e-account and alert service. Utilise the e-toll calculator on the Sanral website. It gives you the total cost for a planned e-toll route.
Posted on: Tue, 03 Dec 2013 04:49:56 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015