The Department of Transport says it is pleased with the progress of the Gauteng e-tolling project, saying if it wasn't for 2010, funding would have been hard to come by.
Minister of transport Sbu Ndebele says the R22 billion needed for the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP) would not be easily justifiable if SA wasn't hosting the 2010 World Cup.
Ndebele praised the project, saying it was making good progress and its success would make it an attraction for the country. According to the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral), the project is 33% complete and will be completed on time as the deadline fast approaches.
“I am absolutely happy about the progress made on this major project. With this sophisticated project, our road infrastructure can be compared with that of the Western countries,” Ndebele said.
Sanral recently awarded a R1.16 billion electronic tolling contract to a consortium led by intelligent road traffic telematics company Kapsch Sweden. The implementation of a multilane free flow tolling system will take place over a period of 18 months. The system is scheduled to go live in April 2011.
Real progress
The toll system will be implemented as part of the GFIP, which involves the upgrading of 185km of freeways in Gauteng, including sections of the N1, N3, N12 and R21.
The agency is building an open road tolling system, which will require each vehicle to carry an electronic tag that would automatically trigger the tolling system housed in 38 overhead gantries, set about 10km apart, across the Gauteng freeway system. The project is divided into three phases, with the first phase set to cost R22 billion.
The agency stated that it was well on its way to raising the R25 billion required for freeway construction projects over the next two years. Improvements to roads in Gauteng are set to absorb about R22 billion of the total, with the first phase set to cost R15.1 million.
Sanral has now raised R12.2 billion in funding for the expansion and upgrade of toll roads. CEO Nazir Alli noted that the agency is on its way to raising the first R22 billion in debt finance to fund its upgrade project and ensure e-tolling is a reality soon.
“The progress made on the project shows government's commitment to improving the quality of people's lives. It is truly a proudly South African moment. For the sceptics that wonder what 2010 means for SA, it means delivering the most sophisticated infrastructure on the continent,” said Ndebele.
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