Gauteng e-tolls rise as Sanral hikes fees 6%

The South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) has quietly gazetted new toll-fee increases, a step that will see Gauteng motorists paying more for e-tolls.

The new rates became effective on March 3, with Sanral hiking toll fees an average 6% across the country.

This includes toll-fee increases for urban roads, which has raised questions about how Sanral determined the rate of increase and sparked fears about the economic effect on Gauteng motorists.

Sanral insists the gazetting process allowed enough time for public comment. However, critics say the process was reminiscent of the lead-up to the establishment of the e-tolls because not enough time had been provided for comment.

The development comes against the backdrop of Sanral having been awarded its first default judgment on e-tolls, which raises the prospect that Gauteng motorists may be forced to pay their e-tolls.

Sanral has said previously that low compliance was holding back investment for road upgrades in Gauteng, even though the agency remains fully funded for 2017.

The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) said it was investigating the circumstances around which the default judgment was handed down.

The High Court in Pretoria handed down the judgment in January against One Stop Building Supplies, an Alberton-based building supply company in liquidation, for R436,000 in outstanding e-toll fees incurred between 2013 and 2015.

Sanral spokesman Vusi Mona said the judgment set a “precedent” that companies could be held accountable for outstanding e-toll bills.

However, Mona did not say whether Sanral would actively pursue more similar judgments.

“We are confident that the default judgment in our favour will be persuasive for other courts when deciding subsequent cases,” Mona said.

Outa is considering challenging the judgment, despite its continuing work with Sanral on a separate e-toll test cast.

Outa portfolio director Ben Theron said the organisation was still seeking clarity from Sanral’s lawyers and the court on how the judgment had been reached.

In addition, Theron said Outa would pick up One Stop Building Supplies’s case and establish how, or if, a summons was delivered to the company.

Outa said this process would not affect the organisation’s discussions with Sanral on the test case, which might settle once and for all whether or not motorists were liable for e-tolls.

Outa said the toll fee hikes had been “a bit more quiet than normal”. However, the organisation did not suspect this was “underhanded” on Sanral’s part.