South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) continues to struggle to get Gauteng road users to pay for e-tolls according to new figures released by Transport Minister, Dipuo Peters.<\/p>\n
Business Day<\/a> reported that Peters sent a written reply to Parliament noting that of the 2.5 million registered vehicles on the GFIP network in a month, just under half (1.4 million) were registered e-tag account holders, while 1.3 million users were paying their e-toll bills.<\/p>\n “Currently \u2026 there are just over 2.9-million accounts with a balance owing. However, 1.2-million owe less than R500 each as at the middle of August,” Peters said.<\/p>\n In a separate answer to a question on e-tolls, Peters said the Department of Transport would collect outstanding debt.<\/p>\n “No money is lost as the amount of revenue which is not collected remains in debtors, and therefore still collectible from the debtor.<\/p>\n “I also bring to the attention of the honourable member that the PFMA [Public Finance Management Act] compels all debt owed to be collected from the debtors,” the minister said.<\/p>\n The roads agency started issuing legal letters to road users who were not paying, in February.<\/p>\n Sanral said last month that it has already issued more than 6,000 summonses to non-paying motorists, with that number expected to increase.<\/p>\n Peters noted that while not a single case of a defaulting motorist had yet gone to court, refusal to pay e-tolls is “a white-collar crime \u2026 a crime nevertheless”.<\/p>\n Outstanding e-toll debt is estimated at around R8 billion \u2013 and climbing.<\/p>\n DA says it can stop e-tolls in 2019<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n These cars are now also exempt from paying e-tolls<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nMore on e-tolls<\/h3>\n