Bad news for e-toll debts

The South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) will not scrap outstanding debts for e-tolls in Gauteng after the system’s shutdown, but there will seemingly be no effort to collect the debts or serious consequences for failing to pay them.

That is according to a document shared by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi in a post on X during a joint press briefing by Sanral, the national Department of Transport, and Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) on Wednesday, 10 April 2024.

A gazette from Sanral, effectively ending e-tolling in Gauteng from 12 April 2024, was published towards the end of last month.

That came after the GPG announced a plan to start shutting down e-tolls during Treasury MEC Jacob Mamabolo’s budget speech in February 2024.

While the shutdown will mean motorists passing under the gantries won’t accrue new e-toll charges, there was still uncertainty over what would happen to historical e-toll debts, as National Treasury had told media that the GPG had acknowledged the need to collect these amounts.

During the press briefing, transport minister Sindisiwe Chikunga said that a memorandum of agreement had been signed between the national government, GPG, and Sanral on future sustainable funding of the roads that will no longer be financed with e-tolls.

“Road users will no longer be required to do anything when e-toll is cancelled,” Chikunga said. “Current valid accounts can still be used for payment at toll plazas and other value-added services, including parking.”

Chikunga did not directly address the issue of historical debt.

Lesufi, however, posted photos of a Sanral information pack on X, which included more details about the implications of the shutdown.

This document said the following with regards to the what will happen with outstanding e-toll debt:

“As the implementing authority and in terms of Treasury Regulations, Sanral has an obligation to take effective and appropriate steps to collect all money due to it. Until advised otherwise, this remains the Sanral position.” 

The “effective and appropriate steps” mentioned do not currently include legal action, as has been the case since a decision by Sanral’s board in March 2019. This was reiterated in the document.

The document also said that motorists who wished to pay their e-toll fees up to 11 April 2024 could still do so and advised that letters of demand from Sanral pertaining to outstanding e-toll debts should be “acted upon accordingly”.

Lesufi previously also promised refunds for customers who had paid their e-toll accounts.

However, another part of the document pack states that there will be no refunds for paid-up accounts or prosecution until Sanral receives other instructions from its political principal — the Department of Transport.

The images below show the Information Pack’s pages shared by Lesufi.