Sanral’s e-toll ‘hook, crook and spook methods’ will backfire
Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa) says that threats of criminal charges by Sanral are “hook, crook and spook” methods that will backfire.
The anti-tolling lobby group called for Sanral’s board of directors to step in and take responsibility for the Gauteng e-tolling “fiasco”.
It follows comments made by Sanral CFO, Inge Mulder, explaining and down-playing any cash-flow concerns at the roads agency. Mulder said that only 9% of non-registered road users were paying for outstanding e-toll fees.
Mulder said that while it’s true that only 9% of non-registered users pay after seven days, 35% of these users do pay within seven days.
“There is no cash-flow problem but possibly a misunderstanding,” the finance lead said. “In fact, we are satisfied with both registrations and payments made by non-registered users.”
“This high level of compliance has also meant that we are on track to meet our debt obligations.”
On Wednesday (2 April) transport Minister Dipuo Peters told parliament that over R540 million in toll fees remains unpaid, while R54 million was spent on the collection of just over R50 million of debt.
Mulder said further that Sanral had 1.2 million registered e-tag users, and collection from these is “going fine”, noting that the agency collected R250.8 million during February.
Wayne Duvenage
Sanral smoke and mirrors
According to Outa lead, Wayne Duvenage, Mulder’s attempts to rationalise the factual answers given by Peters, “undermines parliamentary accountability”.
“While Minister Peters appears to be aware of her overriding accountability to her oath of office as a Cabinet minister above her membership of the governing party, Ms Mulder’s attempt to ‘explain possible misunderstanding’ when there was none, inspires no confidence for anyone, least of all investors that Sanral is so anxious to impress,” Duvenage said.
“While the information she (Mulder) has provided has more detail, her interpretation of the facts do not bear professional scrutiny. Her fiduciary duty obliges her to explain rather than obfuscate.”
Responding to statements made by Mulder that not paying e-tolls will lead to criminal charges being laid against road users, Duvenage said he’s always warned that these “hook, crook and spook” methods would backfire.
Duvenage echoed sentiments by Justice Project South Africa head, Howard Dembovsky, that Sanral’s threatening approach to tolling has had the opposite effect on road users.
“E-tag penetration has been dismal, with the vast majority of Gauteng freeway users have opted to take their chances as ‘alternate users’, and hold Sanral accountable to normal business practice.”
“Sanral has failed to do so, persisting instead with excessive confidence in their own judgement and showing contempt for any advice or criticism,” the Outa lead said.
“The time has come to call on Sanral Board of Directors to exercise professional courage, and listen instead to their consciences. They have a solemn fiduciary duty to now take responsibility for the fiasco.”
“The first question they must ask themselves is whether they can, in all conscience, support Ms Mulder’s recent statement warning motorists that if they fail to pay outstanding e-toll bills within the next month, they will be jailed as criminals.”
More on e-tolls
E-toll fines, jail time and criminal records: the truth
The massive cost to collect e-toll debt
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