High fuel prices, which are unlikely to decrease, will reduce traffic volumes and, therefore, the number of drivers using the toll roads.
Gauteng deputy transport spokesperson Fred Nel says the public has reason to be concerned that e-toll fees will be hiked every year to cover other cash needs of Sanral.
“It also seems Sanral has not taken the fuel price into account. Although Sanral based its projections on previous experience, the fuel price will be at its highest when the toll roads are introduced.”
He explains that high fuel prices, which are unlikely to come down, will definitely reduce traffic volumes and, therefore, reduce the number of drivers making use of the toll roads.
“A further aspect not taken into consideration is the delay in the implementation of the toll roads due to possible legal action against the e-tolling system. How will Sanral recover costs from lower than expected traffic volumes and a further delay in implementation? One can only speculate, but one thing is for sure, taxpayers will ultimately pay.”
Finance minister Pravin Gordhan, during his budget speech last week, announced reduced rates for e-tolling for vehicles with e-tags and, despite large-scale public rejection of the system, he said it will go ahead by 30 April.
'Real terms'
However, Sanral says this is misleading and incorrect. “Sanral would like to reassure road users that the tariffs for the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP) will 'in real terms' remain constant.”
CEO Nazir Alli stated that toll tariffs, including e-toll, are adjusted annually by the preceding 12 months' Consumer Price Index, as was done historically with toll tariff adjustments for the past 25 years.
Sanral says additional income reflected for 2012 will be from the new revenue received when tolling commences on the GFIP at the rates announced by Gordhan, as well as the N17 toll route between Springs and Ermelo, and the R30 toll route in the Free State, which both commenced at the end of 2011.
The agency also said the evaluation of the toll tariffs carried out by two independent auditing firms, which were appointed to review the Sanral financial model, found the inputs, formulae and outputs of the Sanral Revenue Model to be sound.
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