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Fin24 has been inundated with emails from readers eager to give their opinion of Gauteng's controversial e-toll roll-out. User Gordon Wroe writes:
Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the whole tolling issue of the Gauteng freeway system.
My wife and I are fortunate enough to have employment in these difficult financial times in South Africa, even if our place of employment is far from our place of residence. What makes it possible to work far from our place of residence is the Gauteng freeway system.
I don't think many citizens actually understand how important this system is in allowing access to employment. It opens us up to many possibilities.
The toll system is going to minimise this opportunity for many. This is why:
My wife and I live in Centurion. We both work in the centre of the Johannesburg CBD and use the N1/M1 down to Johannesburg. We drive a total of 90 km per day, 40 km of it on a tolled section of freeway between Centurion and the Buccleuch interchange.
If you multiply 40 km by 23 working days, our monthly tolled kilometre tally is 960.
Up until recently my wife worked in Alberton (thank heavens she found employment near me!!). She would have driven a total of 109 km per day on the Gauteng freeway system.
The whole route is tolled. Multiply 109 km by 23 working days per month and you get 2 507 km. Bear in mind, there really are no alternative routes for distances this far.
My monthly toll is 960 km at 30c per km = R288.00.
My wife's toll cost per month would have been 2 057 km at 30c per km = R617.10 capped at R450.00
My annual costs are R288.00 x 12. = R3 456.00; her's R450.00 x 12 = R5 400.00 per year. Total cost for our household: R3 456.00 plus R5 400.00 = R8 856.00
This means that our annual household costs would have increased by almost NINE THOUSAND RAND!
Many people, young and old alike, who earn an income closer to the breadline and are offered work far from their place of residence, may be forced to use the Gauteng freeway system. They would possibly have to decline these job offers because they simply would not be able to afford to travel to work.
How is this fair?
Almost everyone who travels to work - regardless of whether we work in Gauteng, the Western Cape, or any other province - has to use an existing, already taxed, tarred road. So why should only those who use the Gauteng freeway system be penalised?
It cannot possibly be fair to treat some South African citizens differently to others, can it?
Thanks.
- Fin24
*What has your experience of the new e-tolls system been like? Share your thoughts.
Disclaimer: All articles and letters published on MyFin24 have been independently written by members of the Fin24 community. The views of users published on Fin24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent those of Fin24.
Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the whole tolling issue of the Gauteng freeway system.
My wife and I are fortunate enough to have employment in these difficult financial times in South Africa, even if our place of employment is far from our place of residence. What makes it possible to work far from our place of residence is the Gauteng freeway system.
I don't think many citizens actually understand how important this system is in allowing access to employment. It opens us up to many possibilities.
The toll system is going to minimise this opportunity for many. This is why:
My wife and I live in Centurion. We both work in the centre of the Johannesburg CBD and use the N1/M1 down to Johannesburg. We drive a total of 90 km per day, 40 km of it on a tolled section of freeway between Centurion and the Buccleuch interchange.
If you multiply 40 km by 23 working days, our monthly tolled kilometre tally is 960.
Up until recently my wife worked in Alberton (thank heavens she found employment near me!!). She would have driven a total of 109 km per day on the Gauteng freeway system.
The whole route is tolled. Multiply 109 km by 23 working days per month and you get 2 507 km. Bear in mind, there really are no alternative routes for distances this far.
My monthly toll is 960 km at 30c per km = R288.00.
My wife's toll cost per month would have been 2 057 km at 30c per km = R617.10 capped at R450.00
My annual costs are R288.00 x 12. = R3 456.00; her's R450.00 x 12 = R5 400.00 per year. Total cost for our household: R3 456.00 plus R5 400.00 = R8 856.00
This means that our annual household costs would have increased by almost NINE THOUSAND RAND!
Many people, young and old alike, who earn an income closer to the breadline and are offered work far from their place of residence, may be forced to use the Gauteng freeway system. They would possibly have to decline these job offers because they simply would not be able to afford to travel to work.
How is this fair?
Almost everyone who travels to work - regardless of whether we work in Gauteng, the Western Cape, or any other province - has to use an existing, already taxed, tarred road. So why should only those who use the Gauteng freeway system be penalised?
It cannot possibly be fair to treat some South African citizens differently to others, can it?
Thanks.
- Fin24
*What has your experience of the new e-tolls system been like? Share your thoughts.
Disclaimer: All articles and letters published on MyFin24 have been independently written by members of the Fin24 community. The views of users published on Fin24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent those of Fin24.
