We don’t have time to use e-tolls to spy on you: Sanral
With the new e-toll dispensation is set to take effect in July, Sanral says it does not have the time to use the information gathered by it’s technology to spy on motorists.
It follows an article by Jane Duncan, Professor of Journalism at the University of Johannesburg, in which she said that the panel sat up to assess the socio-economic impact of e-tolls last year, failed to address the impact of e-tolls on people’s right to locational privacy.
Read Professor Duncan’s article here: The South African Civil Society Information Service
Duncan noted that academics globally and locally have warned transport authorities intent on rolling out Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS’s) like Sanral’s – where digital tools are used to monitor traffic, toll vehicles and anticipate crises – that they need to build systems with privacy in mind, otherwise they risk alienating the public.
“Sanral appears to be oblivious to the warnings,” the academic said.
In its response, Sanral said that modern technology can be used for good or bad purposes.
“It depends, most often, on the intent of those who have access to it. It is something we at Sanral are very aware of,” said Vusi Mona, GM of communications.
The road agency admitted that the e-toll system does take photographs of registration numbers of vehicles passing under its gantries, but said that the e-tag is also only an identifier, and does not track a vehicle, but only reads the tag when passing underneath a gantry.
Sanral said that Duncan’s assertions that this impacts on people’s right to locational privacy is not new, and applies to many other technologies for many years.
It said that mobile phone companies can determine a person’s movement, while speed over distance cameras on various routes photographs all vehicles at various locations on a specific route.
“All this information is of a personal nature, but is protected by law, except if a crime was committed. In such case, the information is obtained from these service providers or agencies such as Sanral in terms of the required legal processes, Mona said.
“Professor Duncan raises something which is just a possibility which modern technology has brought with it,” he said.
“It is not used, as she suggests is a possibility, to establish a person’s personal, social and political activities or habits, political involvement and associations.”
“We have neither the time nor the desire to do anything like that, nor has it crossed our minds,” Mona stressed.
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