Toll fee increase March 1

Motorists across the country will soon feel the pinch when increased toll fees come into place on March 1 2019.

The Automobile Association (AA) has released an official statement confirming the increase and attributing it to a predicted rise in fuel prices.

“These increases will coincide with a likely increase to fuel prices in March, which, given the current data, look set to be significant. These increases will apply countrywide to all tolled roads.”

A rise in fuel levies will come into effect in April, while a Carbon Tax on fuel is expected to be implemented in June.

“While the tolls for the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP) are increasing in line with inflation, this will be of little solace to consumers who have either not received increases to their wages and salaries or whose increases have either been in line with or lower than that.”

The South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) admission in Parliament in 2017 found that the compliance rate for e-toll users on the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP) is around only 30% and revealed that many motorists are choosing not to pay e-toll rates.

The AA is encouraging SANRAL to engage with the public of Gauteng before increasing the tolls.

“By increasing these tolls SANRAL is, essentially, punishing the 30% who are already paying, instead of trying to find a new way forward for all road users and to bring the remaining 70% of non-payers into the fold.”

Gauteng road users are unclear on the tolls as theirs is a no-uniform-policy approach.

“Clarifying exactly what the way forward is for e-tolls is critical, especially given that there are significant differences of approach between different structures. This is leading to substantial confusion among the province’s road users.”

Prices for public transport are expected to escalate as well, posing difficulties for commuters who rely on this form of transport to get to work.

“It also makes it harder for job-seekers to find work as few of them have the resources to pay current transport costs, let alone increased fees. This, in particular, is worrying, given the country’s high unemployment rate.”

The AA says the trip from Soweto to Pretoria will cost drivers an additional 4.35% in tolls from March 2019.

“This represents a R43.22 increase from R826.80 to R864.40. Since 2015 [toll fees have] increased by R165.40.”

Picture: Pexels

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