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JOHANNESBURG - The Democratic Alliance in Gauteng has gone in to bat for road users through a complaint lodged with the National Consumer Tribunal about toll collection.
The opposition party said: "We don't believe the battle against the tolls is over even though the February implementation date has been delayed."
The DA believed the planned tolls infringed sections of the Consumer Protection Act which protected consumers from unfair, unreasonable and unjust practices because road users had to give access to bank accounts for unknown amounts to be deducted for e-tolling.
FRAUD WORRIES
There was a high possibility of error or fraud and no clarity about how incorrectly deducted amounts would be refunded.
Some of the more than 200 000 people who had allegedly already registered for e-tolling said they had not been told about administrative fees, such as a R5 charge for statements sent by post and the exclusion of certain classes such as taxis was discriminatory.
The SA National Roads Agency Ltd (Sanral) announced in 2011 that tolling was imminent on 185km of the N1, N3, N12 and R21 around Johannesburg and Tshwane. In terms of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project, these roads and their interchanges had been improved and costs estimated at around R20-billion would be recouped through toll charges.
Light motor vehicles are expected to be charged R0.40/km, medium vehicles R1/km, "longer" vehicles R2/km, and motorcyclists R0.24/km.
Qualifying commuter taxis and buses would pay nothing.
Sanral announced on Friday that e-tolling had been placed on hold. This followed a meeting on Thursday with transport minister Sibusiso Ndebele and a huge outcry that the tolls were unaffordable.
The opposition party said: "We don't believe the battle against the tolls is over even though the February implementation date has been delayed."
The DA believed the planned tolls infringed sections of the Consumer Protection Act which protected consumers from unfair, unreasonable and unjust practices because road users had to give access to bank accounts for unknown amounts to be deducted for e-tolling.
FRAUD WORRIES
There was a high possibility of error or fraud and no clarity about how incorrectly deducted amounts would be refunded.
Some of the more than 200 000 people who had allegedly already registered for e-tolling said they had not been told about administrative fees, such as a R5 charge for statements sent by post and the exclusion of certain classes such as taxis was discriminatory.
The SA National Roads Agency Ltd (Sanral) announced in 2011 that tolling was imminent on 185km of the N1, N3, N12 and R21 around Johannesburg and Tshwane. In terms of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project, these roads and their interchanges had been improved and costs estimated at around R20-billion would be recouped through toll charges.
Light motor vehicles are expected to be charged R0.40/km, medium vehicles R1/km, "longer" vehicles R2/km, and motorcyclists R0.24/km.
Qualifying commuter taxis and buses would pay nothing.
Sanral announced on Friday that e-tolling had been placed on hold. This followed a meeting on Thursday with transport minister Sibusiso Ndebele and a huge outcry that the tolls were unaffordable.
