Motorists are expected to pay within seven days after receiving e-toll bills or they would be handed over to debt collectors, Sanral chief executive Nazir Alli said on Sunday.

“There are incentives included within the debt collection process that includes registering and getting an e-tag,” Alli told reporters at a briefing in Midrand on e-tolling readiness.

The briefing took place at the operations centre of the national roads agency.

“If debt collection fails, the Criminal Procedure Act will come into effect and such motorists will receive summons to that effect.”

The e-tolling system will commence on 3 December.

Those who registered for e-tags would receive a 40% discount on the tariffs, Alli said.

Transport minister Dipuo Peters criticised those who opposed e-tolling and said it was time they moved on.

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa was misleading motorists, she said. The union criticised e-tolling after Peters announced the 3 December date, saying road users should refrain from voting for the ANC at next year’s general election.

“I did not expect a union to say such. We will need more roads and good infrastructure even after the elections. Numsa is misleading the public, unless it wants to tell us that it is transforming itself into a political party.”

Peters labelled the Democratic Alliance as “politically bankrupt” for putting up anti-tolling billboards along the highways. — Sapa