Motorists rally against new e-toll law ahead of Wednesday deadline
Gauteng motorists have until Wednesday (6 January) to make public comments about a new government plan to fine motorists who are boycotting the e-toll system.
The government aims to amend the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act to include e-toll infringements.
According to Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa), the purpose of the change is to accommodate the inclusion of outstanding e-toll bills into the normal traffic fine and violations process.
In addition, the authorities seek to have these notices served via ordinary mail, e-mail, or SMS.
The Department of Transport published the Gazette on 7 December 2015, which requests comment from the public before 6 January 2016.
Outa said that as of 12:45pm on 4 January, there have been 57,843 comments from the public on the new legislation classifying the non-payment of e-tolls as a fineable traffic offence.
This is up from 19,200 comments on 30 December 2015, as people return from holiday and head back to work.
The e-toll system has been wideley rejected by the public since it’s launch in December 2013, to point of near collapse, according to numerous reports.
A copy of the Government Gazette can be found here and Outa’s submission here.
More on e-tolls
Government quietly moves closer to fining e-toll dodgers
Government to pay half of the e-toll fee shortfall
Sanral in new push to ‘criminalise’ those not paying e-tolls