The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) on Monday added its voice to concerns that all major roads in Gauteng would reportedly be tolled in the next three years, saying that the tolls would discourage investment within the province.

Chairperson Chose Choeu called on the Department of Transport, the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) and the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) to seriously consider the implications of extending the toll system, and to find alternative sources of funding for the roadwork planned.

Sacci also said that the intention of the JRA to toll the city’s M1 and M2 motorways to fund its maintenance backlog, were in direct conflict with the country’s stated aims of imposing tolls.

Engineering News Online reported last week that JRA was in discussions with Sanral about the possibility of tolling the M1 and M2 highways, as it needed additional revenue to tackle a maintenance backlog of about R1,5-billion.

Sacci stressed that toll roads should only be introduced on new roads or extensively upgraded roads, which would improve traffic flow and consequently result in savings in excess of the cost of tolls.

“Sacci opposes the introduction of tolls for maintenance purposes as there will be no resultant overall cost benefit to transport operators, commuters and other road users,” said Choeu.

The statement concerning the extensive tolling in Gauteng, as well as planned rollouts to KwaZulu-Natal and Cape Town, comes at a time when the introduction of tolls on the Gauteng Freeway system is being hotly contested.

Gauteng motorists could from the end of June already start paying 66 c/km, before discounts, to drive a car on the 185 km of highway upgraded as part of Sanral's Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project. The toll fee structure is currently under review.