Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News, 2013-12-02

Today will be your last free drive to the office on major Gauteng highways. With less than 24 hours until the e-toll system goes live, people certainly don’t seem to be racing out to buy e-tags.

So far only around 700,000 Gauteng motorists have tagged their vehicles which will see them get massive discounts.

Motorists will be charged from midnight and roads agency SANRAL reckons more drivers will get their e-tags as they see their bills.

Meanwhile The Freedom Front Plus has made a last minute application to try and stop the implementation of e-tolling, which is due to start on Tuesday.

“When they go under the gantries tomorrow, the world is not going to end… they will just pay tolls," said David Unterhalter SC, for the SA National Roads Agency Limited

He said there was no urgency for the application, and that it should be struck from the roll.

So what if you don’t register for an e-toll account?

A hefty bill awaits non-registered motorists without e-toll accounts who fail to pay their e-tolls within a week.

Such an individual would have to pay nearly six times more in toll fees, according to the SA National Roads Agency Limited's website.

Sanral said tariffs differ depending on whether motorists have both an e-toll account and an e-tag, or have an e-tag without an e-toll account.

Those without both would pay much more. Motorists with e-toll accounts are registered and those without are non-registered.

If a driver with a VW (Class A2) does not have an e-toll account and an e-tag, and his daily trip consists of passing the Barbet e-toll gantry on the N1 between Watermeyer and Lynnwood Road, he will have to pay R3.48, according to the website.

"However, if he does not pay within seven days of passing the Barbet e-toll gantry, he will be classified as an alternative user and would need to pay R10.44," said Sanral.

A registered e-tag user with the same vehicle, driving the same stretch of road will pay R1.80 if they paid within a week of passing the gantry, their e-toll account was up to date, and they qualified for the "time of day" and "frequent user" discount.

A registered VLN (vehicle licence number) user driving the same vehicle on the same stretch of road will pay R3.48 because he does not have an e-tag.

"Because he is registered, is paying within seven days of passing the Barbet e-toll gantry, and his e-toll account is up-to-date, he qualifies for the time of day discount," said Sanral on the website.

A non-registered e-tag user will pay R3.48 with the same vehicle on the same stretch of road.

The agency said should a road user not have an e-toll account, or a day pass, the motorist can pay within a seven day grace period from the time he or she passed the gantry

 (Twitter: @Faizie143 )