![\"Wayne](\"http:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/Wayne-Duvenage-e-tag.png\")
<\/a>Wayne Duvenage says no to e-tags<\/p><\/div>\n
Duvenage said that they realized that Sanral has been trying to talk a good game and get the public to think the system was being accepted by most.<\/p>\n
However, the few meaningful polls and research undertaken to date reflected overwhelming rejection to getting e-tags by the public, said Duvenage.<\/p>\n
Outa\u00a0said that, once e-tolling had started, they were able to check the penetration of e-tag sales, by conducting physical counts of cars with and without e-tags.<\/p>\n
\u201cA thorough count with extensive sample size of almost 8,000 vehicles was conducted from 5 to 13 December 2013 \u2013 5,186 of which were counted at freeway on and off-ramps, to assess the actual e-tag up-take,\u201d\u00a0Outa said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe results were significantly lower than the impression created by Sanral. At a mere 15% of freeway users driving with e-tags, we extrapolate this to be around 350,000 to 400,000 e-tags in use on the Gauteng Freeways, i.e. less than half the 800,000 number indicated by Sanral, a week into e-tolling.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/a>Outa e-tag stats<\/p><\/div>\n
According to Outa, if indeed Sanral\u2019s current figure of 900,000 e-tag distribution is to be believed, something is seriously amiss.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can only ascribe their number to include e-tags farmed off to car rental and other fleets in other parts of the country, plus the hundreds of thousands of e-tags lying around in shops and storerooms, which are in effect useless, unless they are fitted in cars and creating easy revenue generation for Sanral.\u201d<\/p>\n
Additional information which\u00a0Outa was able to glean from their research shows that intersections located closer to industrial areas \u2013 such as Modderfontein, Marlboro Dr, Malibongwe, and New Road \u2013 produced a slightly higher e-tag count (average of 18%), compared to those around residential areas (at an average of 13%).<\/p>\n
\u201cThis somewhat confirms the notion that business is slightly more likely to \u2018tag along\u2019 while the public are not, but even so, the business count at just below 20% was still a massive blow to Sanral\u2019s plans,\u201d said Outa.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Outa e-tag stats per region<\/p><\/div>\n
Outa\u00a0said that this low e-tag uptake can only mean a greater indication of defiance by society against the e-toll fiasco than imagined.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn addition, one can deduce that a low e-tag uptake will probably mean not much payment will be received from the non-tagged element of the freeway users,\u201d said Outa.<\/p>\n
\u201cOuta estimates that even if Sanral manages to extort some payment from part of the non-tagged users at higher tariffs, they will be lucky to receive 40% of their targeted e-toll revenues and as a result, the system will be doomed,\u201d said Duvenage.<\/p>\n
\u201cThreatening the public with criminal records and bad credit ratings will not work and will only exacerbate the problem for Government on this ill-conceived plan.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sanral sticking to its guns<\/h3>\n
After Outa made similar claims last week (12 December), Sanral issued a statement refuting the claims, saying that the road company has no reason to fabricate sales figures, and accused Duvenage of “playing in the mud”.<\/p>\n
\u201cOuta\u2019s Wayne Duvenhage simply cannot resist playing in the mud even during such a period in South Africa,\u201d Sanral fired back in a\u00a0statement\u00a0on Thursday (12 December).<\/p>\n
\u201cHe (Duvenage) has become an \u201cexpert\u201d on this project, even as he sits outside Sanral. But it doesn\u2019t stop there. Even on matters judicial, he has firm views on how court rulings should go in spite of what judges have pronounced.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe e-tag sales figures we have released are accurate. As a state-owned entity, everything we do is subject to audit processes by both the Auditor General and our external auditors. We have no reason to \u201cfabricate\u201d these figures as Outa alleges.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are confident of meeting our debt obligations and the improved rating by Moody\u2019s a few days after toll commencement, though still negative, is an indication of a modest step in the right direction.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs for Outa\u2019s research, unless the sources of the information are known and found to be sound, we will not attach much value to it. We don\u2019t know what equipment has been used, with which technical specifications and standards it complies and where it has been installed.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
More on e-tolls and e-tags<\/h3>\n
Sanral stands by e-tag sales figures<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
Sanral e-tag numbers a lie: Outa<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n
E-tags: millions unsold<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
How many e-tags has Sanral really sold?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n