Phantom e-toll fine baffles motorist
Sanral say they have been getting a number of complaints from road users about incorrect e-toll billing.
INCORRECT billing and phantom fines have become commonplace with the new e-toll system with fake and cloned number plates being the main culprit. Numerous motorists have complained about incorrect e-toll bills, with some motorists who have never travelled on Gauteng’s roads receiving large invoices from The South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral). That trend seems to be continuing. Last week, Northglen News was contacted by a Durban North businessman, Sam Naidoo (not his real name) who received a fined for R39 from the agency.
“I was shocked when I received the bill as I’ve never been to Johannesburg,” said the exasperated Naidoo. “The registration matched my business vehicle and it alleged I was driving there in January. I tried contacting the helpline which was even worse because it kept giving me options but never allowed me to speak to an operator. I’ve now had to get an affidavit saying I was in Durban at the time of the fine being issued. It’s extremely inconvenient,” he said.
According to Sanral’s CEO, Nazir Alli, the concerns over erroneous billing for e-tolls is being addressed.
“We have been getting a number of complaints from road users about incorrect billing and some receiving bills when they have never used the e-roads. We are taking these complaints very seriously and the whole matter is receiving our attention,” Alli said.
But according to Zurika Louw, CEO of the SA Number Plate Association, the problem is only going to get worse until regulations are set in place to address the issue. “There’s approximately a thousand legal embossers in South Africa, and it is impossible to police each and every one. Because KZN number plates are made out of plastic, they are easier to clone. Anyone can purchase the materials needed to clone a plastic number plate at a hardware store or a sign shop,” she said.
Louw added that cloning an aluminium number plate is far more difficult and needs special equipment and according to a survey in Gauteng, it was found that around 30 per cent of number plates were illegal or non-compliant.
“If you received an erroneous bill, you can request a picture but the cameras at the moment produce a black and white and grainy picture. Criminals are not only cloning your number plates but they also try to match the original car the plates were cloned off,” she said.
Her argument is given further credence after a Berea resident was charged R460 in e-toll fees despite not even leaving KZN last month. The suspect vehicle, a silver Honda Civic, was a replica of the resident’s car.
