The latest information coming from the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP) Steering Committee is that a recommendation of 40 cents per kilometre has been made with regards to Gauteng’s e-tolls. The committee however, was at pains to insist that nothing has been finalised yet. But it’s difficult to see how a couple of months’ work can suddenly be reduced to nothing.
“We have listened to and taken on board what stakeholders said, and now are in a position to make our recommendations,” Transport Director-General and Chairman of the Steering Committee, George Mahlalela told members of the media. “The steering committee investigated the proposals made by all stakeholders, as well as all other options to revise the toll tariffs and make it more affordable.”
All vehicles with e-tags on their windscreens are to be charged as follows, according to the preliminary report: Motorcycles will be charged 30c per km, medium vehicles R1 per km, and large vehicles R2 per km. Taxis will be lowest cost at 11c per km. However, vehicles which have no e-tags on their windscreens will bear the original 66c per km charge.
Therefore in real life, if you are an average motorist living in Pretoria and working in Johannesburg, or vice versa, you could see yourself paying around R830 extra per month, just on tolls if you only use the freeway for five days a week! If the same motorist has not fitted an e-tag then they can expect to pay at least R1 370 per month on these tolls. Mind you this is just for the home-to-work and back commute, and doesn’t include drives to meetings, lunches and weekend drives.
Of course what will start happening is that some motorists will avoid freeways and congest the already stressed inner roads. The result of that will be more traffic, slower moving cars, general lateness and so on. Either that or less travelling.
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