Cape Town – A farmer and his wife from Citrusdal in the Western Cape were very surprised when they received a Gauteng e-tolls invoice of R43.50....for their tractor.
“If the situation was not so upsetting, it would actually have been quite hilarious,” Ina van Wyk (62) told Fin24 on Thursday.
“The most shocking thing is that the invoice reflected my husband’s ID number and some of our other personal details.”
She said the last time she and her husband Johnnie (69) had been in Gauteng was 40 years ago.
On the photo attached to the invoice was what looked like a white bakkie or panel van. Its (false) number plate was the same as the Van Wyks’ tractor: CAR 10944. The vehicle passed through an e-toll gantry on December 19 at 23:00.
“It seems that when these crooks obtain false number plates they already have all your personal details,” Van Wyk told Fin24.
“Once, years ago, we also got a traffic fine for supposedly driving through a red traffic light in Cape Town. This vehicle had also used the registration number of our tractor. The John Deere tractor is safely locked up in our barn, by the way,” she said.
Her attempts to contact the national roads agency Sanral has failed so far and she intends to write them a letter of complaint.
The story created a huge reaction and one comment was from a blind person who said he does not drive, but still received an e-tolls invoice. Another said on Facebook that he received an e-tolls invoice for his caravan.
“I think they should demand an ID book when people have number plates made,” said Van Wyk.
“If the situation was not so upsetting, it would actually have been quite hilarious,” Ina van Wyk (62) told Fin24 on Thursday.
“The most shocking thing is that the invoice reflected my husband’s ID number and some of our other personal details.”
She said the last time she and her husband Johnnie (69) had been in Gauteng was 40 years ago.
On the photo attached to the invoice was what looked like a white bakkie or panel van. Its (false) number plate was the same as the Van Wyks’ tractor: CAR 10944. The vehicle passed through an e-toll gantry on December 19 at 23:00.
“It seems that when these crooks obtain false number plates they already have all your personal details,” Van Wyk told Fin24.
“Once, years ago, we also got a traffic fine for supposedly driving through a red traffic light in Cape Town. This vehicle had also used the registration number of our tractor. The John Deere tractor is safely locked up in our barn, by the way,” she said.
Her attempts to contact the national roads agency Sanral has failed so far and she intends to write them a letter of complaint.
The story created a huge reaction and one comment was from a blind person who said he does not drive, but still received an e-tolls invoice. Another said on Facebook that he received an e-tolls invoice for his caravan.
“I think they should demand an ID book when people have number plates made,” said Van Wyk.