The South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) has registered more than 200 000 account units for e-tolling on the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP), which is set to go live next month.

The agency said on Wednesday that 212 906 accounts have been opened since e-tag registration for users of the 200 km of upgraded highways started in November.

Sanral has been urging road users to ‘get e-tag ready’ by getting an e-tag, registering an e-toll account and fitting the e-tag to the inside of the vehicle's windscreen.

Registered Gauteng road users who have an e-tag fitted to their vehicle would be eligible for all the discounts available to e-tag users including a 31% e-tag discount and frequent user discount, the company pointed out.

Further, special arrangements for fleets and groups of 50 or more vehicles have been put in place for obtaining the tags and registering an e-toll account.

Sanral said e-tolling on the GFIP will start in February, but did not give a specific date.

Logistical issues, such as enforcement to guarantee there were legal ramifications to the nonpayment of tolls remained in doubt.

About 2.5-million transactions were expected at highway gantries every day and, with an offender rate estimated at 10%, about 250 000 fines could be issued daily for noncompliance.

The legal challenges, which could be compounded if motorists choose to disregard the tolls in protest, could cause further difficulties in the introduction of tolls for the GFIP.

Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele said that various mechanisms were in place to ensure that users paid their toll fees. This included the proposed National Traffic Police Freeway Unit, which would be managed under the Road Traffic Management Corporation and be responsible for traffic policing on the GFIP.