Share

E-toll funds improve Gauteng roads - Cesa

Johannesburg - The fuel levy is not an effective means of funding improvements to Gauteng's freeways, Consulting Engineers SA (Cesa) said on Thursday.

"The fuel levy just spreads the burden among the entire population... roads have not really benefited from the fuel levy," contractual affairs manager Wallace Mayne said in Midrand, during Cesa's submission to the advisory panel on e-tolls and its socio-economic impact.

It would be unrealistic of Gauteng to expect fuel levy funding to filter down to road infrastructure, as past experiences suggested fuel levy funds were diverted elsewhere.

"It [e-tolling] really is the only funding model that will be effective."

Cesa is a representative body which represents over 500 consulting engineering firms.

The highways in Gauteng were a localised system, with Gauteng residents primarily using them, even though they were national roads.

"To say it's national [Gauteng's freeways] is a bit of a misnomer," Mayne said.

As such, Gauteng had to fund improvements to its freeway system, as the national fiscus was already stretched.

Mayne said since the start of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP), with funding provided by e-tolling, there had been an improvement on Gauteng's roads.

"There has been an improvement in traffic since it [the GFIP] was introduced," Mayne said.

"The system as it is intended is going to work... It has really benefited our cities."

Were e-tolling as a method of funding set aside, it would jeopardise future projects.

"We don't want to go the Eskom route where they need R200bn to get out of a mess," he said.

For those who did not want to use tolled roads, sufficient alternative roads were available.

"There is not just one alternative, there are many alternatives," Mayne said.

Funding needed to be in place to ensure the viability of alternative routes.

Salani Sithole, part of Cesa and chairman of the transport liaison committee that consults with the provincial transport department, said South Africa's roads network was the 10th-largest in the world.

A total of R149bn was needed to address the roads maintenance backlog, according to the latest data available. E-tolls were projected to cost R400 million a year.

If the next phase of the GFIP was not implemented, it would cause congestion in future.

"The movement of people is the backbone of the economy... If phase two doesn't pick up, it is going to make it worse," he said.

"We still recommend e-tolling. It is a way of supporting infrastructure. The user becomes part of it."

He suggested the burden tolling placed on frequent freeway users required further examination.

The panel will focus on the implications and perceptions of financing the GFIP and e-tolls.

On Monday, the Gauteng provincial government announced the panel would embark on a month-long consultation process, starting on Wednesday, with organisations and individuals.

Organisations were invited to make submissions on the economic, social, and environmental impacts of the GFIP and e-tolls.

The panel was expected to report to premier David Makhura at the end of November.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
18.94
-0.9%
Rand - Pound
24.10
-0.9%
Rand - Euro
20.59
-0.7%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.42
-0.9%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.8%
Platinum
915.75
-0.8%
Palladium
1,028.36
-3.5%
Gold
2,159.96
+0.2%
Silver
25.03
-0.6%
Brent Crude
85.34
-0.1%
Top 40
66,252
0.0%
All Share
72,431
0.0%
Resource 10
53,317
0.0%
Industrial 25
100,473
0.0%
Financial 15
16,622
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders