While the new e-toll dispensation is set to take effect from 2 July 2015, it comes amid discrepancy between the gazetted tariffs and the statements made by the deputy president, Cyril Ramaphosa.

E-tolls charged under the amended act will be payable from Thursday 2nd July 2015..

However, according to Opposition To Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa), there are in fact fundamental differences between the tariffs gazetted on Wednesday 17th June 2015, and the announcement by Ramaphosa in May.

Ramaphosa is cited as saying “there will be a monthly cap on the penalty for accounts in arrears. All users who do not pay tolls within the required 30 days will be obliged to pay double the toll tariff. To protect users from incurring high amounts of debt, this will be capped. In the case of light motor vehicles, for example, the monthly cap for accounts in arrears will be R450″.

However, in the new e-toll tariffs as per Gazette 38884, published on 17 June 2015, the tariffs applicable for non-registered users who do not pay within 30 days, is actually three times the 30 cent rate applicable.

Outa said that that the rate is not capped at R450 as indicated by Rampahosa. The Department of Transport has only listed the cap of registered users and has failed to indicate the cap of the Alternate (non registered) users at R450 in the gazette.

“These are the facts and there is no selective reading herein,” said Outa chairman Wayne Duvenage.

The Transport Department says that the implementation of the new e-toll tariffs in Gauteng could take as long as 18 months.

“What is really needed in the next 18 months is for Sanral and the executive to recognize the well known rule of common sense; ‘when you’re in a hole, stop digging’.  For guidance and a ‘ladder’ to assist them out of their hole, Sanral and the Department of Transport need to premise the solution on Section 195 of the constitution,” said Duvenage.

He said that the discrepancies cannot be brushed aside. “This is a clear and material breach of the basic constitutional values and principles governing public administration.

New tariffs

The new tariffs are as follows:

• The tariff of approximately 30c per kilometre is to continue to apply to registered e-tag users, and will apply to registered VLN users who were previously expected to pay approximately 58c per kilometre.

• Both types of registered users still have to sign Sanral’s terms and conditions which have been publicly stated as being “90% compliant with the Consumer Protection Act”.

• If these registered users don’t have a prepaid account, or don’t have a payment method acceptable to Sanral, they will be charged the “alternate user tariff” – approximately 90c per kilometre.

• Registered users will have a 31-day “grace period” from time of passing under a gantry in which to pay the “alternate user tariff”.

• “Unregistered alternate users” will have a 7-day grace period to pay and are not entitled to the discount

• If unregistered alternate users pay within the 7-day grace period, they will be charged the “standard tariff” – approximately 30c per kilometre.

• If they pay before an invoice is issued by Sanral or within 30 days of the date of the invoice they will receive a 60% discount on the alternate user tariff – approximately 54c per kilometre.