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Stop E-tolling, Start E-policing!

Nicol Louw By:
Wednesday, April 18th, 2012 09:44 am GMT +2

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By Nicol Louw

SANRAL plans to employ the e-tolling system by the end of the month and, to date, we all hate the idea. In a cash-strapped society this is seen as a last straw to break the camel’s back, with the public willing to fight the implementation of the system to the bitter end. The problem is that billions of rands of the taxpayer’s money has already been spent. Is there not a better alternative for which this expensive white elephant can be employed for? As I see it, the answer is Yes, e-policing!

At the heart of this e-tolling system is an advanced numberplate recognition function. It has been tested in rush hour traffic to not miss a single number plate across all the lanes of the highway. Now, imagine hooking this system up to the police database of stolen and hi-jacked vehicles? Police will instantly know when a stolen vehicle crosses below one of SANRAL’s e-toll structures. It would actually be beneficial to have a police presence after each tolling station to immediately apprehend the culprits.

The traffic department will have a field day if they link their database of outstanding fines, road tax and unroadworthy vehicles to the number plate recognition system. Maybe they can even set-up camp next to the police station on the N1 after each tolling structure.

I have a hunch that the N1 might not have any more traffic problems should the above be employed, with all the law-breakers looking for alternative routes! Okay, so you can always remove your number plate but I’m sure the system can be set up to identify a vehicle with no recognisable number plate and send a picture to the waiting police one kilometre down the road…

Have you got any alternative uses for the despised system that might replace the dreaded toll paying?


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PLEASE NOTE: The opinion expressed in this article is the author's own and publication does not mean it is endorsed by the CAR magazine editorial staff or RamsayMedia, publishers of CAR magazine.
  • JS

    Could be used as a great research tool as well. Migration patterns. Types of drivers. Speeds. Makes and colours of vehicles at different times of the day. With registration data income patterns and addresses. Will the gantries be able to identify people in the vehicle?

  • Andreas Dinkelacker

    If the police were simply to do their job properly – actually CHECK each vehicle they stop in road blocks for the basics such as hand brake, brake lights and indicators, to put cameras to photograph everyone pulling off before the lights turn green (including the taxis and cops!), to catch lane changes across white lines, those continually using emergency lanes with impunity, those who talk on cellphones while driving (up to 1 in 10 in many areas), not wearing seat belts (yes, including cops!) the revenue would be enormous.

    If the police would at long last use the systems that they already have and catch the 1 in 10 vehicles with false number plates, and the goodness-knows-how-many with false drivers licences the traffic jams would disappear, and with it the wear and tear on all roads AND freeways would become manageable.

    If the traffic transgessions were recorded properly and the fines delivered in accordance with the law, all fines would be paid (yes, including of the taxis…).

    And if EVERY vehicle had to be ensured for third party before it could be licensed, legal, responsible drivers would not bear the costs imposed by those who cannot drive safely and avoid paying the costs of their carnage. This would result in the responsible people having money for road improvement.

    But, then again, that would be doing their jobs, not making money for the connected ones…

  • Ronald

    The time to travel between gantries, translates to an average speed driven. If this is higher than the maximum allowed then a fine can be issues automatically. Visually overloaded vehicles can be identified.

  • Ronald

    One could also police following distance between vehicles and finally get the bumper biters to pay-up!

  • Art

    Could also use it to catch and stop people from driving with their frikken fog-lights on in normal night-time visibility!! x-(

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