SOUTH AFRICA: New road tolling system suspended after fierce criticism countrywide

Record ID: 454815

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: New road tolling system suspended after fierce criticism countrywide
  • Date: 24th February 2011
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF NEWSPAPER HEADLINES READING: "TOLL PUT ON HOLD, TOLL ON HOLD, TOLL ROAD VICTORY..."
  • Embargoed: 11th March 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa, South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: Domestic Politics,Transport
  • Reuters ID: LVA5EE2QOULIVWO50HLV84OMGIVQ
  • Story Text: South African commuters and motorist have expressed outrage at the a new tolling system introduced by the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) that will leave many commuters, trucking companies and taxi drivers unable to use the freeways in and around Gauteng, South Africa's economic hub.
    Even the provincial government has expressed concern over the pricing structure of the system, which set prices at at 66 cents (just under 10 US cents) per kilometer for standard motor vehicles at the 42 electronic toll gates erected on six major freeways.
    On Tuesday (February 22) transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele suspended the controversial e-tolling system until further notice - resulting in cries of victory from South African newspapers - and tariffs are likely to be reconsidered. But the final implementation date for the system, 23 June, still remains.
    Sanral says it believes the prices are affordable and discounts will be built into the fee structure. But ordinary motorists commuting between Johannesburg and the neighbouring city of Pretoria (as thousands do each day) will have to pay some 1700 rand (240 US dollars) a month.
    If the tolling system is implemented at the beginning of June, poor black South Africans will be hardest hit because under apartheid they were forced to live in townships far from the centres of Johannesburg and Pretoria.
    Taxi associations who move millions of workers between the main centres around Gauteng and neighbouring suburbs say they will have to increase the taxi fares, which most commuters cannot afford.
    The social geography has changed little in the 17 years since white-minority rule ended, and even though the ANC has poured money into improving links between places like Soweto and central business districts, public transport options are limited.
    Taxi drivers are outraged.
    "Our government doesn't care about us, they get subsidised on food, cars, and housing and everything, while we don't get anything. At the end of the of the day we have to pay more than what we earn , and those that get more money have to pay less" said Ntumo Molawa.
    The tariffs have also resulted in a huge outcry from organisations including the ruling African National Congress, the trade unions which threatened a strike, as well as freight companies and taxi associations.
    Some commuters will have to look at alternative mode of transports like the Gautrain and the Rea Vaya Bus Rapid Transit System (BRT) which aims to provide a high quality and affordable transport system, but so far operates in Johannesburg only.
    " I think this tolling system will affect taxi drivers more, because it will be expensive, we don't make descent more here, we also have to buy gas, how are we going to survive, what we are saying is that this new tolling system should not be implemented at all, we will not allow it to happen, it's just going to be too much, we are pleading with the government not to go ahead with this" added Jerry Mlangeni.
    The first phase of the Gautrain route between Sandton and O.R. Tambo International Airport was opened in June, just a few days before the FIFA World Cup. By October it had carried its first million passengers.
    The high speed locomotive travels at 160 kilometres per hour and it takes seven minutes to get from Sandton to the airport, a trip of between 30 minutes to an hour, by car.
    The Gautrain spokesperson Barbara Jansen says they are expected to carry more passengers travelling from Pretoria to the Airport once the project is fully complete. Jansen also dismissed allegations that the tolling system is meant to push commuters towards the Gautrain. She says freeway tolls are high because money borrowed for construction needs to be paid back. .
    "SANRAL and the national department of transport loaned money to build the toll roads, so they have start paying those loans back, so that's a complete fallacy, they are not tolling, SANRAL is not tolling the roads so we can have more people on the Gautrain" said Barbara.
    After the World Cup, the train service's first phase, which is complemented by additional bus services and car parks, stabilised at about 50 000 passengers per week. Pretoria resident Khanyi Mahlare who's never used the train before, says safety is a huge drawcard.
    "You feel secure, so to say. As you get on the platform you see the visibility of people you can ask if you are lost or something, and yeah, I think more people should be utilising this train," said Mahlare.
    Commuters pay up to 14 US dollars to use the Gautrain first-phase service between Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport and the financial centre of Sandton. Barbara Jansen says once the second phase is launched, the tickets will be discounted.
    The second phase, a north-south line linking the Johannesburg CBD to the neighbouring city of Pretoria, will be launched later this year.
    The national roads agency says there are no alternatives to the toll system, whose revenues are being used to pay for a large part of the 16.9 billion rand (2.36 billion US dollars) upgrade to the Gauteng road network.
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