The South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) reiterates that e-tags are still the smartest payment method for road users.

“Following a recent article in which toll plazas were linked to card cloning and skimming as well as other credit card fraud, we want to reiterate that these acts do not happen at our toll plazas. Instead, stolen or cloned cards are sometimes presented for payment. Most toll transactions are below R500, so one does not need online transaction verification,” says Vusi Mona, Sanral’s GM for Communications and Marketing.

At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, SANRAL advocated for cashless payment, promoting the uptake of e-tags in the interest of hygiene and personal safety, given that human contact was eliminated from this process. The roads agency continues to promote the use of e-tags as they also aid mobility, with the availability of Shesha Lanes at most toll plazas.

“Instead of bringing one’s vehicle to a complete stop and engaging with the operator, Shesha Lanes allow road users to slow down while the system reads the e-tag, opens the boom and the road user experiences seamless travel,” says Mona.

The interoperability of e-tags at all Sanral toll plazas across the country helps to ensure hassle-free travel and uninterrupted mobility.

The e-tag can be loaded and topped up in any of the following ways:

* At selected mainline toll plazas across South Africa (during office hours);

* At self-service terminal devices;

* Electronic funds transfer (EFT);

* At participating retailers, including Pick ‘n Pay and Checkers; and

* At any Advanced FNB ATM which has a note accepting facility.