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Vehicles pass the toll gantries on the N4. Photo: Phill Magakoe
The controversial Gauteng toll road system is just the start of a string of tolls across the country designed to plug a multibillion-rand hole in the government’s road maintenance bill, according to Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele.
Responding to a recent parliamentary question, Ndebele revealed that the so-called “user pay” principle - which he claims will only be applied when required - will go some way towards relieving the state’s R149 billion road maintenance shortfall.
“The ‘user-pay’ (toll) principle is government policy, but is used selectively and only where feasible, and when used, the benefits outweigh the cost to the road user,” he said.
Ndebele also noted that the price tag for maintenance backlogs excluded periodic resurfacing of the road network, the upgrading of gravel roads to tarred surfaces, adding new lanes to existing roads and the construction of new roads to ease congestion on busy routes.
The Gauteng toll system was widely criticised earlier this year when the proposed fees of 66c/km were announced, prompting Ndebele to stop the process while he consulted affected constituencies.
These include taxi operators, who want to be exempted from the toll fees.
Long-haul transport companies have also warned that the new fees will raise the cost of all consumer products as these are transported mainly by road. And they have suggested that, in the absence of an efficient alternative such as rail, companies have little choice but to move products by road.
Other tolls in the pipeline include: the N1-N2 Winelands Toll Highway (171km); N2 Wild Coast Toll Highway (560km); R300 Cape Town Ring Road (105km); R30 Bloemfontein to Welkom (160km); N3 Marianhill to Cedara (90km); and the controversial N2 Knysna Bypass (35km).
“This is part of the South African National Roads Agency’s long-term planning strategy for the national road network,” the minister said.”Extensive investigation and evaluation would be done before any final decisions were taken about further tolling, he said.
“The introduction of toll roads is related to the backlogs that exist with regard to the (national road network) and the associated funding constraints by the fiscus.
“This makes it extremely challenging for the required remedial measures to be implemented, as and when required, resulting in the continued deterioration – if not arrested timeously – of the road network,” Ndebele explained.
He emphasised that toll fee structures would exclude the initial capital outlay and that users would only be paying for upkeep on the section of road they actually used.
Money collected from tolls would also be “ring-fenced” to be used exclusively for maintenance on the applicable route.
This comes after an Independent Newspapers investigation revealed on Friday that a private company appeared to have acted as judge, jury and executioner in the Gauteng toll road project.
The investigation found that a local road engineering company was contracted to do everything from the initial feasibility studies to the costing of the plans and finally the engineering of the project, including the building and operation of the toll gantries.
Sanral has denied any impropriety, saying the company’s services were obtained at a 20 percent discount.
The company’s involvement in the feasibility study – and later in other aspects of the project – did not constitute a conflict of interest, Sanral said.
However, critics have called for the entire process to be stopped and for all contracts, tenders and agreements to be opened up to public scrutiny.
Cosatu spokesman Patrick Craven, who has criticised the fact that parts of the project were outsourced to the private sector, has indicated that the trade union federation plans to take the issue to the streets with protest actions.
DA Gauteng MPL Jack Bloom has also cried foul, suggesting the closed process followed so far prevents public representatives from ensuring that the government is getting bang for its buck in the project.
The minister suggested that the budgets available from the national fiscus were “insufficient” to cover the state’s road maintenance obligations and therefore road users will have to help foot the bill.
This will free up available government resources for other roads in need of repair.
However, the envisioned tolls will only cover 3 120km – or 2.4 percent – of the country’s 135 000km network of surfaced roads - Political Bureau
Free Citizen, wrote
All the road tax included in the price we paying with every litre of petrol should have been “ring-fenced” years ago. This was neglected by incompetent ANC "wannabe" managersministerspoliticians. The ANC government now has two choices: 1. pay back all the money they stole from our road maintenance kitty to pay for all these new dreamed up costs and ghost projects, or 2. resign as a government. Solution 2. would be preferable as we don't want to be "ruled", and we don't want to have thieves and parasites masquerading as leaders in our country. Jacob, Julius, is this stated clearly enough for your capacity of understanding? Was there ever anyone in your lives to teach you that a gentleman will never insist to be where he is not wanted? I wonder. The parasitic policies of the ANC are well-documented...
TRiP, wrote
@mrs Kiwi, you're gloating. If you despised South Africa so much and had to run to your country clean verges, grass cut every fortnight and our smooth newly tarred roads then answer me this one simple thing, WHY ARE YOU TROLLING South African news sites, simple, you're a troll and want to gloat. sodd off will ya!
Carole, wrote
This is great news.
mrs Kiwi, wrote
I live in New Zealand and we are always fixing things. We do not have so many expensive toll roads and the govt is forever doing road works. Our taxes are not that exorbitent either.Come and look at or clean verges, our grass cut every fortnight and our smooth newly tarred roads at no extra expense to us.Our govt dont steal blind from us
mrs Kiwi, wrote
Isnt that what our taxes go to provide?? This toll story will go ahead and the money will just be stolen once again, no surprises there
Stormy, wrote
If Cosatu strike and protest, I will right in the line! What I find amazing is for more than three years I have had to put with roadworks on the N3 and N12 North and South to and from work every day....and it never seems to get finished....guess its called keeping people employed. Yet it literally took them weeks to erect the structures on the highway required for the tolls....quite amazing really, don't you think?
Fred, wrote
The trouble with this arrogant goverment is that they can't admit they do not have the skill to manage efficently and do not have the knowledge to understand maintenace processes. They also do not wish to learn from history and can only throw more money; from you and I; at the problem- their idea of a solution. Their ability to get to basics of what problems opportunities are, is non existant. Just bleed the middle class!!
mel, wrote
Lee - Yes this is the biggest fraud of the SA history, 1. The only reason they are implementing this is the ANC have squandered all the money 2. They are telling us they are incapable of managing money to set aside to fix SA. 3 If they couldnt manage that money how will they manage this money to pay back their debts? The ANC time & time again have proven that they are incapable of governing, they are not a legitimate government, because governments govern, they are a rogue machine put in here by the internationalists. There is not one single thing they have implemented that has helped this land in 17 years Probably using the toll roads for night of the long knives, so they block off and barricade certain areas for the coming culling - This way they sure to get the job done. They learnt well from other african failures NOOOOOOOT!
Anonymous, wrote
The huge sums of money they're already rubbing their hands together for will be staggering - 66ckm will have devastating consequences for road users, while for the govt will become another cash cow they can keep milking. Revolution! The working class is footing this bill, so LET'S RISE UP! We dont need the majority, we can make a difference!
Ringmaster, wrote
Julius, where are you? Why don't you call for the nationalisation of national roads?
Anonymous, wrote
The huge sums of money they're already rubbing their hands together for will be staggering - 66ckm will have devastating consequences for road users, while for the govt will become another cash cow they can keep milking. Revolution! The working class is footing this bill, so LET'S RISE UP! We dont need the majority, we can make a difference!
Lee, wrote
referring again to Ndebele's DSTURBING comment that 'the price tag for maintenance backlogs excluded periodic resurfacing of the road network, the upgrading of gravel roads to tarred surfaces, adding new lanes to existing roads and the construction of new roads to ease congestion on busy routes"... which IS the required MAINTENANCE... I understand what MAINTENANCE the toll fees WILL cover... THE MAINTENANCE OF THE LIFESTYLE - of LUXURY,OVER-INFLATED SALARIES, PERKS, OVERSEAS TRIPS FOR THE WHOLE DEPARTMENT AND FAMILY (WHILE DOING AND DELIVERING NOTHING MEANINGFUL) TO WHICH THEY - THESE OVERPAID USELESS ANC MINISTERS - have BECOME ACCUSTOMED"!! One wonders if any of them have actually PASSED ACCOUNTS101?! VIVA ANC, VIVA!
zale, wrote
the elections are over..the time to steal is now..thanks for your vote..loyal anc sheep
White Rat, wrote
Smile and wave boys, smile and wave!
Anonymous, wrote
You must pay for the struggle, you must pay for the roads, you must pay because you have a house, you must pay!
Lee, wrote
what I find THE MOST DISTURBING about this article is the following statement "Ndebele also noted that the price tag for maintenance backlogs EXCLUDED periodic resurfacing of the road network, the upgrading of gravel roads to tarred surfaces, adding new lanes to existing roads and the construction of new roads to ease congestion on busy routes." Now to ME the EXCLUDED items = the MAINTENANCE that needs to be carried out on the roads - i.e. "periodic resurfacing of the road network".... so then to do these would require EXTRA money.. is it just me or this THE BIGGEST FRAUD and MIS-MANAGEMENT of the PUBLC and TAX Payers in this country??? These okes are milking us, bleeding us dry and then scr*wing us and they think we are ALL DUMB enough to not see through what they are doing = CORRUPTION, SELF ENRICHMENT, ANC ABUSE!!
Anonymous, wrote
I knew it, the ANC was just waiting for our votes then continue with this CRAP. But why would anyone be surprised by these GREEDY PIGS? Who pretend to care about our citizens when all they care about is enriching THEIR CORRUPT SELVES & put their kids in schools overseas. We need to pray
worsjakkals, wrote
@mifozi: I love your not so subtle sarcasm every I see your comments on the IOL Reader Comments. Very sharp!!
Anonymous, wrote
This is ridiculous, we pay licence disc for cars and we should pay for useless tollroute, I think the goverment is riping us think about it tax,vat, petrol price that is going all the time. What do we suppose to live for?
JINGLES, wrote
Fascinated about the can's of worms being opened now, after the elections!! Dumbfounded about how anybody in a healthy state of mind can still trust the ruling party!! Before the elections it was all talk about jobs and housing. Anything from the Holy Bible to the forefathers was used! Now we just hear about what extra costs we can expect in the future. Wow!!
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