Chances are good that your return to work was heralded by an sms from Sanral announcing that you’ve been handed over for non-payment of toll fees. However all is not as it seems.
What the sms really means is that you’ve failed to pay your e-toll fees within 7 days of using the road and that you’re now liable to pay the inflated fee of up to three times the original toll.
Confused yet? It gets more complicated. If you receive an invoice from Sanral, and pay within 30 days of the date of issue, you will get a 60% discount on the inflated fee. If you pay within 60 days, you get a 30% discount.
Adding to the mix is the fact that both tagged and untagged road users are reporting being billed for trips they haven’t taken or vehicles they don’t own.
While Sanral has admitted that the sms is not a substitute for an invoice, the onus is on the road user to pay the toll from the minute he or she has passed under a gantry.
How can unregistered users establish how much they owe?
Unregistered users can see their transactions on the Sanral website. Alternatively they can phone the Sanral call centre or visit one of its customer service centres to inquire about their overdue amounts.
How to pay if you don’t have an e-tag
- You can contact the VPC (Violations Processing Centre) on the number provided within the sms
- Find an e-toll customer service store and go in and pay in person
- Payment can also be made by credit card, EFT or debit order.