The South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) has acknowledged that it cannot suspend the motor vehicle licences of motorists until they have settled any outstanding e-toll debts.
This emerges from a letter from SANRAL in response to the IRR’s challenge to the agency earlier this month over the threat, published on its website and reported in the media, that it would recommend that motorists with e-toll debts be prevented from renewing motor vehicle licences.
The IRR warned SANRAL that such an action ‘would cause great disruption to South Africa’s economy, undermine its prospects for recovery, and place an even greater tax burden on distressed households and businesses. For these reasons we urge you to revoke the threat’.
In a statement yesterday, the IRR said it was pleased to report that SANRAL has said the threat as published on its website is outdated and therefore does not represent its present position, and that it acknowledges that it does not have the legislative mandate (or, put simply, the power) to block vehicle licence renewals.
‘SANRAL has therefore taken the position that licence suspensions cannot occur and that it is not presently pressing for such suspensions,’ the IRR said.
‘This is a great victory for motorists and an example of how, standing together, citizens do have the power to #StopCitizenAbuse.’
The IRR added: ‘Our read is that SANRAL was happy for the threat to stand on its website and in the media as this might intimidate some motorists and that only after being challenged was it moved to clarify the position that licences cannot be suspended.’
The IRR would ‘remain vigilant on this issue and intervene again if the position of SANRAL or the governments changes’.
‘SANRAL informed us that it is currently awaiting decisions on the future of e-tolls from the Minister of Transport and we will keep a watching brief to ensure that the minister does not push for licences to be suspended, which would be politically disastrous for the ANC.’
The IRR sees such threats as an example of citizen abuse, against which it has launched a #StopCitizenAbuse campaign.