Motorists are set to be hit hard next month as fuel prices rocket, but those in the Western Cape will escape annual vehicle licence increases and the introduction of e-tolling.
The Department of Minerals and Energy said yesterday that the price of 95 octane fuel at the coast would increase by 66c/litre, while 93 octane petrol would cost an additional 68c/l from next Wednesday.
Motorists at the coast will now pay R11.59/l for 95 octane and R11.56 for 93 octane. The price of petrol inland will rise by 71c/l for 95 octane and 73c/l for 93 octane petrol. Diesel at the coast will cost 47.6c/l (0.05 percent sulphur) and 49.6c/l (0.005 percent sulphur) more.
One of the major contributors to the increase is the 20c fuel levy increase announced in February by Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan.
AA spokesman Gary Ronald said April was also the month that car licence fees were hiked. In addition, Gauteng e-tolls would start operating on April 30 - and last week Sanral introduced increased tariffs on its other tolls. Ronald said motorists would have “less disposable income” and that the knock-on effect was likely to include a hike in taxi fares because “the taxi owners won’t be able to absorb an increase like this”.
Western Cape Transport Department spokesman Steven Otter said the province had not increased car licence fees since 2005, and they would not rise this year either.
Transport MEC Robin Carlisle said the price hike would affect about 75 percent of people coming into the city, either by car, bus or taxi, and would also have a sharp knock-on effect on food prices. He also questioned the inclusion of the 20c fuel levy, saying this was being used to cover the Gauteng e-toll costs.
“It’s absolutely scandalous that the government is charging every motorist in the country for this,” Carlisle said. - Saturday Argus