E-toll vans seen on N12, motorist sees it as intimidation
Motorist says he was asked why he did not have an e-tag
The South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) and the Gauteng Traffic Police have jointly positioned themselves along the N12 highway, in Benoni.
Morehill resident Deon Lerm, who uses the N12 almost every day, said he was stopped on Sunday and Monday by the Gauteng Traffic Police, at around 11am.
Sanral officials were at the location on both days.
The Gauteng Traffic Police fall under the Gauteng Department of Community Safety (GDCS), and not Ekurhuleni or any other municipality.
Lerm, who sees the traffic stop as an intimidation tactic, said the Gauteng Traffic Police stopped him at the Snake Road on-ramp and asked him: ”Why are you not registered for e-toll?”
The officers then proceeded with checks on his vehicle.
Sanral general manager for communications, Vusi Mona, said Sanral has no mandate on road enforcement and road blocks and denies that it is using the GDCS to conduct checks on motorists.
”Sanral, in a spirit of cooperative governance with the Gauteng Department of Community Safety, makes available its equipment and data to the traffic officers,” he explained.
”The officers are on the road to do law enforcement and not to collect e-toll fees or to ask motorists if they have e-tags.
”Sanral has its toll collection process that does not involve the GDCS.
”Sanral has definitely not requested GDCS or any law enforcement agency to question road-users on whether they have e-tags or not.
”We are assured by the GDCS that none of their officers have been instructed to do so.”
Outa spokesperson John Clarke said Sanral’s positioning on highways, with the Gauteng Traffic Police, is an ”intimidation tactic”, which is not in the spirit of ”constitutional democracy”.
Mona said ”obtaining an e-tag is not a legal requirement and it, therefore, does not need any enforcement”.
He encouraged road-users who say they have been stopped and asked about e-tags to take note of the time, place and officer who has asked the question, and report it to the tip-offs anonymous line on 0800 204 508.
There have also been reports that Sanral and the Gauteng Traffic Police have been at the Tom Jones Street on-ramp to the N12 highway.
The Gauteng Department of Community Safety had not responded to questions at the time of going to print.
