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Cape Town - If the public wants freeways then it has to pay
for them, Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele said on Thursday.
"If there is an outcry and people say they won't pay
tolls, then we can't put the freeway in," he said at a press conference in
Cape Town on Thursday.
"Freeways are not free."
Ndebele said the "user-pay principle" was accepted
throughout the world, but in South Africa people were willingly prepared to pay
only in the telecommunications sector.
"In the areas of electricity, water and transport,
which improve their lives, such willingness is lacking," he said.
Cabinet approved revised tariffs for the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project earlier in August.
The rates are 24 cents a kilometre for motorcycles, 40c/km for light motor vehicles and 200c/km for longer vehicles. Qualifying taxis and commuter buses are exempt.
Ndebele said it was time to repay the R20bn loaned to upgrade the Ben Schoeman highway between Johannesburg and Pretoria.
"It has paid for quite a good infrastructure. It is a
done deal. That horse has bolted. Now we have to pay for it."
Ndebele said that after years of underspending, the
government was making "steady progress" towards ensuring that rail
was the backbone of South Africa's public transport system.
"As of 1 April 2011, government is spending R30.2bn over the next three years for rail upgrades across the country, with R19.5bn earmarked for capital spending to upgrade existing infrastructure, signalling systems and rolling stock," Ndebele said.
The Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) was embarking on
"a bold programme" to invest in new rail rolling stock worth an
estimated R100bn over 18 years.
This would significantly improve the country's commuter rail
transport, Ndebele said.
He said eThekwini was about to complete its full rapid transport plan, which included roads and rail.
Rustenburg too had finalised operational planning and
officially launched the Rustenburg Rapid Transport Project on July 21.
Both Tshwane and Polokwane were reviewing their operational plans, he said.
The Gautrain was also proving to be a success. About 3
million passengers had already used the train between Sandton and the airport
since its launch in June 2010.
