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Sanral: 'Stupid for us to lie'

Johannesburg – The SA National Roads Agency Limited has denied claims that it lied about the number of e-tags in circulation, Business Day reported.

Sanral CEO Nazir Alli said: "It would be downright stupid of us to lie about this."

Responding to claims by the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa), Alli said the auditor-general would check Sanral's books in January 2014. Sanral would have to provide proof of its claim of “936 000 registered” tags.

EVEN DEAD CAN'T ESCAPE TOLLS

People living outside Gauteng, had never used a tolled highway, were too young to drive or, in one reported case, were dead had received bills. Sanral said it was willing to correct problems with its billing system. Alli said so far only 1% of problems reported related to incorrect user information.

Spokesman Vusi Mona said drivers who received high bills would have failed to comply with the due-by dates.

Drivers without an e-tag were not eligible for a “48% discount and other mark-downs” and would have to pay an additional cost if the fee was not paid within seven days.

CRIMINAL OFFENCE

Mona warned that if a driver did not pay the account within 60 days "the offence" would be handed over to the prosecuting authority "to be dealt with in terms of the Criminal Procedure Act".

"Failure to comply with this could result in a criminal record."

An unregistered e-tag driver with an outstanding balance of R100 would have to pay R192.31 because the benefit of the 48% discount fell away.

This calculation (and others for which we are seeking clarity and so cannot publish) baffles us. As we’re sure you’ll agree, 48% of R100 does not equate to an extra R92.31. We’ve requested clarity on Sanral’s other calculations and have been assured they’ll get back to us.

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