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The e-tolingl system in Johannesburg. Picture: Cara Viereckl

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• Government slashes Gauteng toll fees

Gauteng toll road users are being given a R5.8-billion subsidy to help reduce the cost of the controversial new system.

Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said in his speech he was aware that the introduction of tolling to finance the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Programme had caused “considerable public reaction”.

The government had listened carefully to various suggestions and appreciated “the difficulties that might be faced”.

The toll project had a debt of R20bn, he pointed out. To help reduce the toll burden on motorists, the government proposed a R5.8bn special appropriation.

“This will reduce the debt to be repaid through the toll system, and will make a steeper discount possible for regular road users.”

But he reminded motorists that toll charges helped reduce traffic volumes on the heavily congested roads, and users of the toll system benefited through lower vehicle operating costs, time savings and improved safety.

Also, additional revenue generated on toll roads allowed improved maintenance of regional and provincial roads.

He said the government would evaluate future road infrastructure funding “carefully”, while the Department of Transport would give urgent attention to further developing “efficient and cost-effective” public transport systems.

Of the approved and budgeted infrastructure plans for the three-year Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) ahead, R262bn of the R845bn total had been allocated to transport and logistics projects.

The Passenger Rail Agency of SA would get an additional R4bn to start buying new coaches – part of R80bn to acquire a new fleet of rolling stock over 20 years – and another R1bn to build three depots and upgrade signalling in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape.

State-owned communications provider Sentech would get funding over the MTEF to provide signals for analogue and digital television, and for digital broadcasting infrastructure.

According to the Treasury’s Budget Review, 583 “mega-projects” in the transport sector are under consideration for the period 2012-2020.

Those already under way include national road improvements of R45.4bn, provincial road improvements of R25.5bn, locomotives and rolling stock for Transnet’s freight rail costing R7.7bn, and the Ngqura container terminal near Port Elizabeth at a cost of R7.9bn.