While I have been a strong supporter of the user-pay principle for infrastructure investment, with the caveat that much-needed government funding goes into primary economic functions such as health education and good governance of the country – the e-toll collection company certainly needs to jack up its game.
My story of woe … as a good citizen I bought my e-tag and found it quite handy on the NI tolls as I now live in Modimolle. I used the option of debiting tolls directly to my credit card.
On the same day that the Minister announced the final implementation of the system -stressing that without a valid e-tag users would pay double for using the tolled roads - I found myself, without warning, e-tag declined at the plaza on the N1 – having to reverse back against the traffic behind me. You can imagine the fury – not only my own but that of other e-tag holders. Running into my meeting I asked my husband to call the helpline and find out what the problem was – and after phoning and holding on for ages he was informed that they could not help as I had to personally speak to them.
When I got to call – another half an hour later – I was told that my e-tag had been suspended as there was no money in my bank account. When I told her that this was impossible, she told me the e-tag would remain suspended.
After many, many more phone-calls it transpired that the e-tag was suspended because my credit card had expired.
Yes the bank did send me a new card, but never before have I had to think of who to inform when my regular card changes take place – the debit instruction is against my credit card account, which just keeps running! (or that is at least the way any other service providers operate – ie welfare organisations to whom I have been making fixed donations for years).
Can you imagine the frustration of the business community having to diarise when credit cards expire to inform the e-tolling administrators! Or risking a reverse at a toll gate and hours wasted to sort out!
My question - after all this time, are we really ready to face the thunder that is awaiting law-abiding citizens from the 3d of December – operational efficiency is to drive down the cost of doing business – are we going to see it??
Brenda Horne-Ferreira, senior corridor adviser and past MCLI CEO.
