Sanral revenue dips as motorists remain defiant over e-tolls

While the future of e-tolls has yet to be decided, it now appears even fewer motorists are paying their e-toll fees.

This as Sanral received 63 percent less revenue in e-toll collections in the 2018/19 financial year compared to the year before.

In its 2019 integrated report, the roads agency last week announced it had received just R687-million in e-toll fees.

This compared to R1.8-billion, which was collected from compliant motorists in 2018.

The reduction in revenue has led to renewed calls by those opposed to the system to have it scrapped altogether.

“We believe this once again shows the system is just not working,” said DA transport spokesperson Fred Nel.

Nel said it was time for e-tolls to be scrapped.

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“The call by Gauteng premier David Makhura for the system to be scrapped before this year’s elections and the suspension of pursuing of e-toll debt have led more motorists to defy the system.

“Gauteng motorists have accepted the fact that the system has failed. Why would they start paying now?”

Nel said while the Gauteng DA believed the system in its current form would never work, the e-tolls infrastructure and technology could still be used to manage the highways.

Meanwhile, the organisation undoing tax abuse (Outa) has said, while it was once again clear that e-tolls should be scrapped, the results released by Sanral were actually a more accurate depiction of an old issue.

“Last year’s R1.8-billion in revenue announced by Sanral, included outstanding e-toll debt, which had yet to be collected,” said Outa CEO Wayne Duvenage.

“This year’s report does not include these numbers and so makes for a more accurate representation of what Sanral’s real revenue was.

“It is good to see that Sanral itself is now acknowledging that e-tolls isn’t working and another solution needs to be found.”

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Asked for comment, Sanral said its position on the illegal disobedience campaign that had impacted on e-toll collections had already been made clear.

“It is also to be noted that the decision around the funding model for e-tolls is not done by Sanral, which is an implementing authority,” said spokesperson Vusi Mona.

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