E-tolls contracts: Almost half a billion rand to communicate
Almost half a billion rand, R473.2 million, will be spent only on communication with e-toll account holders and transgressors, the DA's analysis of the e-toll contract between the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) and the Electronic Toll Collections (ETC) joint venture has revealed.
The total cost of communications for the Transaction Clearance House (TCH), responsible for the hosting and accuracy of all e-toll accounts is R92.6 million, while the cost of communications for the Violations Processing Centre (VPC), facilitating and ensuring recovering of e-toll fees owed, is R380.6 million.
The DA believes that the provisional costs of communication add to growing proof of how expensive it will be to operate e-tolls in Gauteng.
The increased spending by the Violations Processing Centre forewarns of the struggle to track down transgressors and will result in both increased operating costs and less fees recovered.
Increased costs in operating e-tolls and fewer fees recovered means less money is reinvested into Gauteng roads.