Photo by: Duane Daws
The South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) on Sunday said the public must not be misled by organisations criticising the newly gazetted e-toll dispensation.
“Selective reading of the Gazette is regrettable,” said Sanral spokeperson Vusi Mona in a statement.
Mona said that organisations such as Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa) and Justice Project South Africa (JPSA) were “naysayers”.
“Their statements are, whether intentionally or mistakenly, based on gross oversights of aspects of the Gazette.”
Sanral said that according to the memorandum on the objectives of the toll tariff notice, “the new dispensation… will be rolled out in phases, which includes the aspects they are alleging we are not honouring”.
He said new and lowered toll tariffs for non-registered and non e-tag users, as well as lowered monthly caps for registered users, would come into effect from July 2.
Sanral was busy testing the operational and software changes to the system.
“The 30 free gantry passes per annum will be announced once the system and administrative requirements have been fulfilled.”
Earlier this month, Outa claimed that the government “continue[d] to thrust an unjust, irrational and unworkable scheme onto the public, by using carrots of hollow discounts and threats of withholding vehicle licences to coerce the public to comply".