South Africa’s National Consumer Commission (NCC) will take up complaints about e-tolling, though it should not be the first line of complaint, according to commissioner Ebrahim Mohamed.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Freedom Front Plus (FFP) – both opponents of e-tolling – have said they will submit e-toll complaints to the NCC for motorists.
Mohamed said if consumers felt complaints were not being properly dealt with by the South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL), they could approach the NCC.
“The NCC always encourages consumers to lodge complaints at the point of sale, and attempts to have their complaints dealt with there,” he said.
“This does not preclude consumers from approaching the NCC with their complaints.”
He said the NCC would investigate any complaints, though he said it was not an adjudication body and could not declare an account invalid, but could refer a matter to the Consumer Tribunal.
“It is our mandate to assist consumers, and we will,” he said. “What we would do is set up a team to look at these complaints, and categorise them.”
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