After a delay spanning several months, South African National Roads Agency Limited finally announced the toll tariff for the GFIP in early February 2011 which sent shockwaves through the province. In response the AA has commissioned a petition opposing this latest development which adds 66 cent per kilometre to the cost of toll-routed commuting.
Since the announcement was made, conversation has turned to how much the additional cost will impact upon the individual motorist, as well as the anticipated higher costs of doing business and examining alternative routes to avoid the tolls.
“The announcement of SANRAL’s 66 cents a kilometre means horrific implications for the motorist, not to mention the nasty dent it will put in the freight industry’s pocket,” said the AA’s Gary Ronald. Before discounts, toll road users are looking at a flat rate of 40 cents for light vehicles and motorcycles, R1,98 for small trucks and R3,96 for larger trucks.
The AA anticipates that toll implementation will impact negatively on the regional economy with the cost of living increasing across all areas. Other potential knock-on effects could include price increases in goods in Vereeniging due to increasing road tolls negatively impacting distribution and alternative routes becoming gridlock areas. South Africans will also have to rethink their stance on Public Transport where it’s available, with the cost of a trip from William Nichol to the airport potentially going up to R38.
Following heated public debates, the Ministry of Transport announced the formation of a Toll Steering Committee which would hear further public comment on the issue of the GFIP. The final report, once handed to the Minister and the Gauteng MEC would be made public and be followed by a further public meeting of stakeholders. To date this has yet to happen – more than seven weeks late.
According to the AA, solutions lie in improved public transport solutions, with a need to accelerate the roll out of Rea Veya to carry more routes and possibly looking at Gautrain buses as forms of public transport could be a start. Other ideas include the adoption of “work from home” practices to minimise dependence on road-based transport.
Whilst waiting for the final report, the AA has encouraged road users to sign a petition against the proposed tolls online. Since its initiation on 22 February, the petition has accumulated more than 52 000 signatories, the names of which were listed in the petition submitted to the Ministers of Transport and Finance.
An accompanying letter, addressed to the Ministers, reiterated the AA’s policy that tolling should always be regarded as the last resort for road funding, and, that there should be an immediate return to a dedicated road fund which is ring-fenced and sourced from existing fuel taxes.
The AA has also called on the ministries to give full public disclosure on the full cost of the GFIP from inception, the appointment process of the toll collection agency and finally how the tax revenue from the sale of petroleum fuel for road use is being spent.
You can download a timeline chart of the Automobile Association of South Africa's opposition to the GFIP in the wallpapers section on this web page.
