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Outstanding etolls? You won’t be able to renew your vehicle licence

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday revealed the new dispensations that will be allowed for Sanral’s controversial etolls system in Gauteng roads.

While motorists are by no means forced to make use of the freeways, a different snag popped up for those that only use it ‘here and there’ without paying the fees. The government is trying to clamp down on non-payers, and as a result you will no longer be able to renew your vehicle licence if you have outstanding etolls.

“Motorists will have to settle any outstanding e-toll fees before they can renew their motor vehicle licences,” Ramaphosa said during the media briefing. The briefing was streamed live over YouTube.

The other changes that motorists can expect are:

  • Public transport remain exempt from paying any etolls. Busses and taxis who operate with valid transport licences won’t have to pay anything.
  • A single reduced tariff will be applied to all motorists – meaning that etolls are to be made cheaper. Where people are currently paying 58c per kilometre, the fee has been reduced to 30c per kilometre. “This is almost a reduction of 50%, and will apply to all motorists in a vehicle class.”
  • The monthly cap for motorists has been reduced from R450 a month to R225 a month. “That is a huge jump, and the revised caps will be introduced to other categories as well. This is focussed on the bulk of etoll users,” he explained.

What Ramaphosa meant, was that people who drive under gantries less than 30 times a month will not benefit from the reduction in monthly cap, but those that do will have their accounts capped at R225.

He also added that motorists will have six months to pay outstanding etolls at a reduced rate of 60%, and that the monthly cap for those who are in arrears will be R450.

“This will be linked to the vehicle licence system. You have to settle your etolls before you can renew your licence,” he said.

With the new guidelines and systems in place, which is due to come into effect over the next two or three months, it will create a shortfall in Sanral’s revenue of R350 million. “This shortfall will be shared between the national government and the Gauteng government.”

Some of the added changes to the etolls system were recommended by Gauteng Premier David Makhura in his panel review, but proposals to increase the fuel levy, a bizarre tyre tax and rising money from adversing and a traffic demand management were all snubbed by Ramaphosa.

[Image – Shutterstock]

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