Hauliers lash out at freeway toll proposal

A WAR of words has erupted between the road haulage industry and Sanral over proposals to toll sections of Gauteng’s N1, N3, N12, R21 and R28 highways to fund improvements and maintenance. At issue is the question of whether fuel levies can adequately cover the costs. The Road Freight Association’s (RFA) policy and regulation manager, Gavin Kelly, believes that the extra resources to deal with road network maintenance are already available through the fuel levies. He also insists that these fuel taxes should be dedicated to road funding as originally intended – and not just absorbed into the exchequer’s general coffers. But are there really enough bucks in the levy collected? Only the department of transport can answer that question, SA National Roads Agency Limited marketing manager, Dr Wendy Watson told FTW. But one thing’s for certain, she added. “We know that our allocation is insufficient to maintain and develop new national roads.” Given that Sanral has been allocated the portfolio to do just this, Watson feels that a user-pays philosophy – and tolls – is the way to go. “Tolls are levied to enable Sanral to provide a better and more advanced road system than would be possible through the usual fiscus levies,” she said. “It is a user-pay charge and people can decide whether to use these roads or not. They are safer, more convenient and kinder to the environment through more efficient measures against congestion.” That’s not the point, said Kelly. It’s still an extra cost for truckers and, in turn, for all the consumers in the general economy. “It is important to note that any additional revenue collection schemes need to be carefully researched as to the impact on the cost of doing business in SA,” he said, “the knock-on effect on inflation and the long-term effects on the consumer. “The RFA understands and accepts the issues surrounding construction and maintenance of the road network and the drive to ensure safe and efficient transportation systems, but the easy option of adding user pay collection schemes is both unacceptable and detrimental to operations and delivery.”