Is the Department of Transport gazette a veiled attempt to fine e-toll users?

Guest: Rob Handfield-Jones - OUTA Committe MemberThe Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (OUTA) has slammed new amendments to the soon-to-be demerit licensing system, saying that attempts to include the non-payment of e-tolls as a traffic violation was flawed.In a statement issued late on Sunday night, OUTA said the department of transport published a Gazette notice (#39482) on 7th December 2015, which requests comment from the public before the closing date of 6 January 2016."OUTA urges the public to participate, as the amendments are impractical and infringe on the motoring public’s rights to defend themselves from an unworkable processes, if the proposed amendments to the regulations are approved," the organisation says.OUTA charged that the Gazette sought to amend the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act (the AARTO Act), in an attempt to make it easier to include e-toll infringements into the adjudication process by the Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA)."OUTA believes, however, that the modification to the infringement notice process through the use of a new form (AARTO 03e), is flawed in many respects as it is designed to include multiple infringement entries being included onto a single page, seemingly to assist SANRAL in trying to treat the non-payment of e-tolls as a traffic violation. By doing so, the entire infringement notification process becomes impractical and almost un-administrable," Wayne Duvenage, OUTA’s chairman says."This new form is flawed in that it does not provide proof that the driver’s vehicle was at the scene of the incident noted, as there is no photograph provided for each and every infringement listed. There is also an absence of a unique reference number or magisterial district listed per incident, which is required for dispute resolution purposes."OUTA urged the public to submit their comments to the authorities on the Gazette.