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Johannesburg - SA National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) spokesperson Vusi Mona has denied the DA's claim that a system similar to that used to notify motorists of their traffic fines would be used when motorists failed to pay their e-toll fees.
Mona said e-toll collection and the enforcement of fines for failing to pay e-tolls were not governed by the Administration Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) Act, but by the Criminal Procedure Act (CPA).
"The fact is that we will commence tolling by using the CPA as the legislative framework," said Mona.
"We have a process in place which will help us manage non-compliance in terms of e-tolling. Once we have exhausted this process a summons will be issued under the CPA."
He said Sanral also intended to erect mobile enforcement units at on- and off-ramps, and on tolled roads which would be manned by traffic officers, who would check for outstanding infringements.
Mona has denied a claim by the DA that the Aarto system is failing is misleading. Sanral was disturbed by the Democratic Alliance's stance, Mona said in a statement.
The DA said on Wednesday that a report by parliament's working group on the Aarto Act showed that between the 2012 and 2013 financial years, 89.56% of the required payments had remained unpaid by road users.
DA national spokesperson Mmusi Maimane said the total amount unpaid over the two years was R2bn.
"The 50% discount which is applicable to payments made within 32 days is completely ignored and... people simply prefer not to pay at all," Maimane said in reference to the report.
He said the sending of courtesy letters for payment was suspended in July 2012 because of a lack of funds.
"The total amount over these two years for the sending out [of] these letters was more than R30m," said Maimane.
The Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) said Maimane's statement failed to fully capture the processes it and the municipalities had put in place to address and enhance the Aarto Act."The implementation of Aarto in the municipalities of Tshwane and Johannesburg is a strategic decision aimed at piloting it with the specific intention of identifying loopholes and challenges, and be able to put the necessary interventions in place prior to national rollout," spokesperson Fakazi Malindzisa said in a statement.
He said Aarto was a mechanism aimed at increasing road safety and achieving the over-arching goal of protecting the lives of South African citizens as enshrined in the constitution.
"It is more about increasing road safety and changing the behaviour of motorists and the culture of non-compliance to road traffic laws than anything else."
