OUTA supports disabled community concerns on e-toll exemptions

While the exemption process for the transportation of people with disabilities appears to be noble and good, the cumbersome nature of the procedures that have to be applied, makes the regulations meaningless for many, in that medical records need to be obtained from the disabled person being transported and then, records need to be kept of each trip, followed by after the fact rebate applications having to be made. These requests and applications need to be tracked by the person submitting the request for a refund, to be sure that they are actions by SANRAL or their agents, following which, follow up requests need to be processed.

“When one weighs up the cost, effort and time taken to implement and manage this process, it hardly seems worth the effort,” says Wayne Duvenage, OUTA’s Chairperson. “It appears clear to us that SANRAL and the department of Transport have not taken note of the requests and needs of the disabled community for their practical requirement for exemption from e-tolls.”

OUTA supports QASA in their request for the exemption process for the disabled to be reviewed and it current format is virtually meaningless.