In a strongly worded statement released on Wednesday, South Africa’s Road Freight Association (RFA) proposed “a realistic fee of 12c/km” for trucks using the upgraded Gauteng freeways, as it “would be more acceptable, and a lot more affordable”.

According to the RFA fee structure, passenger cars would then be tolled at around 5c/km to 6c/km.

The association said it did not expect to “have good roads for free”.

The Department of Transport had been forced back to the drawing board on Tuesday, owing to a public outcry over its proposed toll fee structure, which would see fees of 30c/km for motorcycles, 49,5c/km for cars, R1,49/km for trucks between 6 m and 12,5 m long, and R2,97/km for vehicles longer than 12,5 m. All fees are inclusive of VAT.

These fees were for drivers with etags on their vehicles.

The RFA said that the Minister of Transport’s decision to suspend the new e-toll system might offer only a short reprieve for road users, as it “in no way” signified the suspension of tolling.

“The South African National Roads Agency Limited’s (Sanral’s) R20-billion debt still needs to be paid.”

PUNISHING THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY?

The RFA viewed “these exorbitant tolls as another way to tax the already heavily taxed trucker”.
 
“Although the RFA has always supported toll roads, and will continue to do so, as this seems to be the only way that revenue collected is dedicated and ring-fenced for new roads, maintenance and improvement, we are of the opinion that the e-tolling tariffs are excessive and irresponsible, given the knock-on effect they will have.”
 
The RFA said that the current toll structure would have “a catastrophic effect on the economy and the man in the street”.

It added that current calculations indicated that truck operator costs would increase between 23% and 30%, depending on the frequency of trips, times travelled and the routes taken.

If operators were unable to pass on these additional costs to their customers, it could result in a 10% to 20% loss to the bottom line, which would, in turn, result in a large number of small operators failing.
 
“Basic foodstuff such as bread will also be impacted,” noted the association.

“The costs of an eight-ton freight vehicle delivering bread from Germiston in and around Johannesburg, will result in a 16% to 20% increase after the etag discount, and from Germiston to Pretoria a 20% increase – and these costs will be [added] onto the price of a loaf of bread.

“With more than 80% of freight moved on roads, and with the secondary road network being in a state of advanced decay, there is no alternative but to use the toll roads.”

The RFA described the trucking industry as a “soft target”, as freight operators, other than commuters, had not been offered frequent user discounts, with off-peak discounts an attempt to ban trucks from the roads during peak periods.

The association also noted that the cost to build a new six-lane freeway had been estimated at R80-million a kilometre, but that the South African public was being charged R140-million for “two lanes and a long-overdue resurfacing”.