Q: I would like to apply for an e-tag. How do I get one? Does your e-tag only work on Bakwena Freeways only or can I use it Nationwide?
Answer:
E-tags are available from dedicated e-toll Customer Care Outlets at shopping malls, e-toll service centres along the Gauteng freeway and from selected Checkers, Pick ‘n Pay and
Shoprite stores at a fee of R49.95. Please note that after you purchase your e-tag at retailers, you will need to register it on the system, this will not be done automatically.
Q: I currently have an e-tag but I have bought a new vehicle. Do I need to change any information with you or do I just put the e-tag in the new vehicle?
Answer:
If you have migrated your Bakwena e-tag to SANRAL or have a SANRAL e-tag, please log into your SANRAL account and change the vehicle details. If you have your e-tag still with Bakwena, please contact our e-tag office on 012804-9057.
Q: I have a Bakwena e-tag, do I need a new one for the Gauteng e-road?
Answer:
No, Bakwena has been working closely with SANRAL on the interoperability of both the Bakwena and SANRAL e-tag system.This means that the Bakwena e-tag will work on the Gauteng e-road network and vice versa. Bakwena e-tag holders will need to register an e-toll account with SANRAL who will manage all electronic toll collection systems in South Africa.
Q: How do Bakwena e-tag holders register their account with SANRAL?
Answer:
Bakwena e-tag holders can register their e-toll account on the website www.sanral.co.za or www.e-toll.co.za and follow the registration prompts.
If you do not have access to the internet you can visit an e-toll Customer Service Outlet or a Bakwena e-tag office and make use of the Self Help terminal.
For more information please feel free to contact either the Bakwena customer service line (0800 Bakwena) or the SANRAL call centre (0800 SANRAL)
Q: Where and when can I get an e-tag?
Answer:
E-tags are available from dedicated e-toll Customer Care Outlets at shopping malls, e-toll service centres along the Gauteng freeway and from selected Checkers, Pick ‘n Pay and Shoprite stores at a fee of R49.95.
Please note that after you purchase your e-tag at retailers, you will need to register it on the system, this will not be done automatically.
Q: Are any vehicles exempt from paying e-toll fees?
Answer:
Yes, through legislation, the South African Police Services (SAPS) and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) are exempt. Through a Cabinet directive, qualifying Commuter Public Transport Operators will receive 100% discount in certain instances. Please refer to the appropriate Government Gazette for further details.
Q: Under what conditions do I have to change the e-tag?
Answer:
There are four possibilities:
- When passing through a gantry and you detect that there is no sound (a beep) or there is a continuous sound (x4 beeps or more) from your e-tag. This is a clear indication that your e-tag could be faulty and might require replacement.
- If there is a very low key sound, it could mean the battery could be running low (on average, the e-tag battery should last for up to five years).
- If the e-tag is damaged in some way.
- When your e-tag is lost or stolen, you will need to report it and obtain a new e-tag.
To replace your e-tag, please contact 0800 SANRAL (726 725) or go to the nearest e-toll Customer Service Centre to get your e-tag replaced. Depending on the circumstances it may be replaced at no cost to you.
Q: How will I know if my e-tag is working?
Answer:
As your vehicle passes under a gantry, the e-tag will emit one audible beep:
- One beep means that the gantry pass was successfully captured on the system.
- Two beeps means that the e-toll Account balance is low and needs to be topped-up.
- Four beeps or no beeps indicate a problem. In this case, please contact the e-toll Call Centre on (0800 SANRAL (726 725)) or visit one of the e-toll Customer Service Centres.
Q: If my personal and/or contact details change, how do I change these on my e-toll Account?
Answer:
Registered e-toll Account holders can change their personal and/or contact details by visiting one of the e-toll Customer Service Centres, through the e-toll Call Centre by calling (0800 SANRAL (726 725)) or by visiting the e-toll Website, www.sanral.co.za
Q: How will I know if my e-toll Account funds are low?
Answer:
You will be able to identify that your e-toll Account has reached its low balance by the number of beeps made by your e-tag when driving under a gantry. The e-tag will beep twice when an e-toll Account has reached the point that requires a top-up. You will also receive a notification through your preferred means of communication, as identified during the e-toll registration process.
Q: What happens to the e-tag if I sell my vehicle or buy a new one?
Answer:
If you sell your vehicle:
The owner will have to remove the e-tag and delete the sold vehicle from the e-toll Account. Any changes to the e-toll Account; e-tag changes, or vehicle detail changes, need to be reported to an e-toll Customer Service Centre, by phoning the e-toll Call Centre (0800 SANRAL (726 725)) or on the e-toll Website at www.sanral.co.za.
If you buy a new vehicle:
A new e-tag and vehicle can be linked to an existing e-toll Account, or a new e-toll Account can be registered
Q: What are the penalties of non-payment and will the e-road user be black listed?
Answer:
The penalties for non-payment are:
- All offenders will be liable for all outstanding e-toll fees, additional administrative fees and associated infringements.
- The offender will go through the normal legal channels and this may result in prosecution for non-payment.
Q: I have been notified that I am in “Violation State”, what does this mean and how can I resolve it?
Answer:
This means you have not paid your toll fees within seven days of your passage. You can resolve this by making an immediate payment through the e-toll Call Centre (0800 SANRAL (726 725)), the e-toll website www.sanral.co.za or an e-toll Customer Service Centre
Q: How do I check for possible outstanding fees?
Answer:
The registered e-toll Account holder will have a unique e-toll Account number and may use the e-toll Website, www.sanral.co.za at their own convenience to check their account. The account holder may also visit an e-toll Customer Service Centre or call the e-toll Call Centre (0800 SANRAL (726 725)) to enquire about any outstanding e-toll fees. The road user will receive an Invoice twice a month to reflect e-toll payment.
For non-registered e-toll users and non-e-toll Account holders, the road user may go to the nearest e-toll Customer Service Centre or call the e-toll Call Centre (0800 SANRAL (726 725)) to find out about any outstanding fees. The road user will also receive an Invoice twice a month to reflect e-toll payment.
Q: My family and I use the Swartruggens Toll Plaza daily for work and other purposes. Is there a discount, and how do we apply?
Answer:
Yes there are discounts. Bakwena is proud to announce that Swartruggens and Groot Marico bonafide residents qualify for a 75% discount at the Swartruggens Toll Plaza, while Zeerust bonafide residents qualify for a 15% discount! To register, visit Bakwena’s Swartruggens Municipal Office at Thusong Centre or the Jouba Koffiehuis in Groot Marico, at Paul Kruger Street. Remember to bring your South African ID, proof of residence and your vehicle registration. For more information, please visit www.Bakwena.co.za or call 014 503 0963.
All social discount card holders must open an e-tag account before 30 June 2014 to keep enjoying their reduced toll tariffs!Visit our offices in: Groot Marico (Jouba Koffiehuis, Paul Kruger Str.) or Swartruggens (Thuson Centre, Swartruggens Municipal Offices) or call Chris van der Walt on 014-503-0963 (o) or 082-629-0293 or call 0800 BAKWENA (2259362) for more information.
Q: As an e-tag holder, do the discounts applied on Gauteng Open Road Tolling (GORT) apply to the Bakwena tolls?
Answer:
No, Bakwena has its own discount system.
Bakwena has the following discounts which can be applied for:-
- Social Discounts – Bona fide residents of Hammanskraal/Themba area qualify for the social discounts. All social discount card holders must open an e-tag account before 30 June 2014 to keep enjoying their reduced toll tariffs!Visit our offices in: Groot Marico (Jouba Koffiehuis, Paul Kruger Str.) or Swartruggens (Thuson Centre, Swartruggens Municipal Offices) or call Chris van der Walt on 014-503-0963 (o) or 082-629-0293 or call 0800 BAKWENA (2259362) for more information.
- Local Discounts – Local discounts are granted to bona fide residents of Zeerust, Swartruggens and Groot Marico
- Public Transport Discounts – In the urban Tshwane area, public transport vehicles (buses and minibus taxi’s) qualify for discounts at Zambezi, Stormvoël and Pumulani plazas
Discounts are subject to annual renewal and are granted at the discretion of Bakwena.
Q: What is tolling and why is it important?
Answer:
The South African National Road Network, managed by the South African National Roads Agency Ltd (SANRAL), connects major cities with towns and developing villages in rural areas of the country. The national road network stimulates economic growth, tourism and social development and creates economic opportunities.
Toll roads in South Africa are managed and funded by SANRAL or private companies which have concessions to operate toll roads. Toll road operations can be divided into two parts – those managed and funded by SANRAL and the toll roads which are wholly funded by private companies (Concession holders).
Tolling is an unbiased method to let road users pay only for the section of road used based on the “user-pay” principle. In some instances, non-users of the road also benefit because transport costs decrease, which leads to a reduction in the cost of products transported by road.
SANRAL’s approach ensures that the individual design of each road section is based on the needs of the particular section.
Tolling is important because it:
- Enables SANRAL to provide roads sooner because there is no waiting for traditional tax-based money, ensuring that infrastructure is provided to generate economic growth, otherwise tax income will drop and the economy will deteriorate.
- Delivers the much needed infrastructure sooner and therefore when it is needed.
- Ensures dedicated funding for road maintenance, saving money for road users.
Q: What are the benefits of tolling?
Answer:
Toll fees benefit consumers because:
- The roads are in a good condition, which contributes to improved road safety and reduces travelling distances, resulting in substantial savings on running costs and travel time.
- The “user-pay” principle is a fair and precise way of paying for transport facilities.
- Road users only pay for the roads they use.
- The continuous stream of funds reduces road construction costs.
- SANRAL has implemented a Freeway Management System which monitors roads and ensures road user assistance in emergency situations.
- Well-engineered roads which require less maintenance over greater periods of time.
Q: What are the different types of tolling?
Answer:
Toll fees can be collected by:
- Traditional Toll Collection – done on open roads or freeways where people pay a toll fee at a Toll Plaza.
- Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) – a system where no cash transactions take place. It can take place in various forms. Current ETC methods include the swiping of credit cards at the plaza and the use of an e‐tag system, on the N1N4 operated by Bakwena, where the vehicle is required to slow down on approach to the toll booms. When the transponder is picked up by the technology mounted on the toll booth, the boom will open allowing the vehicle to pass.
- Open Road Tolling – another form of Electronic Toll Collection whereby the motorist is not required to stop at a toll booth or plaza to pay toll fees. Overhead Gantries are positioned along the toll route and technology mounted on these gantries will take photos of the front and rear of the vehicle and read the transponder (e‐tag) in the vehicle – if there is no e‐tag in the vehicle, it is identified using the photos that are taken of the front and rear of the vehicle.
Q: Who decides how our roads are paid for?
Answer:
Parliament has the final say with various pieces of legislation making provision for different ways of funding roads. SANRAL was established by the National Department of Transport in terms of legislation to see to all road related activities as directed by government.
Q: Why is it important to maintain and improve the capacity of our roads?
Answer:
More than 83% of goods is transported by road and therefore transport cost forms a significant part of the total cost of products. If roads are bad, the operating cost of trucks could easily increase by 300% – a cost that is likely to be passed on to consumers in the end.
If timeous maintenance is not done, the cost of delayed maintenance will drastically increase and more funds will be required. It is important to do maintenance in time to keep costs low because road problems such as potholes only get bigger and more expensive to fix.
Q: Do Bakwena e-tag holders also receive a cap/limit on their accounts per month?
Answer:
Unfortunately, Bakwena does not offer a monthly cap/limit to road users on the
N1N4 routes that are managed by the company.
There are discount schemes available on this route and need to be applied for at our dedicated Bakwena offices. SANRAL does offer a cap for road users utilizing the Gauteng e-toll routes. For more information on this please visit the SANRAL website. (www.SANRAL.co.za)
Q: Why do the discounts and cap’s differ between the two systems?
Answer:
The setting of toll fees takes into account certain aspects such as:
- The value of the fuel and time savings
- The capital expenditure on the particular sector is calculated over the concession period.
- The traffic volumes in the particular sector are also considered, as high traffic volumes on a particular stretch of road require higher maintenance for that section.
At Bakwena the calculation of these fees were done 12 years ago, with predefined regulations set in place and agreed on by SANRAL. Aside from the toll fees and other monetary matters being agreed on 12 years ago, the Bakwena managed route and that of the Gauteng e-road are significantly different in terms of the aspects outlined above, therefore, they are not able to offer all road users the same rates, fees and discounts.
Q: Why are there two different systems being used?
Answer:
The major differences between the two lie in the classification of the systems. The
Bakwena system referred to as ‘Electronic Toll Collection’ (ETC) is axle based, whereas as the Gauteng e-tag system, referred to as ‘Gauteng Open Road Tolling’
(ORT) is volume based.
- Axle-based – refers to the number of axles on the vehicle. This dictates the costs per type of vehicle and is a conventional plaza based system. For more on this classification, visit the website www.bakwena.co.za.
- Volume based – refers to the size of the vehicle utilising a road.
Due to high traffic volumes in Gauteng, a conventional plaza-based system would not work, leading to the development of a different system.
Q: Is tolling a new system used only in South Africa?
Answer:
No, tolls have been used since ancient times when gatekeepers turned the pike to allow travellers to pass after paying their toll, to pay for roads. Tolling is currently the fastest growing funding mechanism for roads in the world.
Q: Is tolling double taxation?
Answer:
No. When we pay taxes, the money is used to pay for the services which Government renders to all South Africans. A toll is not a tax and is only used for the portion of road used. The user fee could, for instance, be compared to paying for the parking at malls. A toll road is funded by people who choose to use the road, while tax is compulsory for everyone.