More traffic on freeway – Sanral
The South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) believes that once e-Tolling is implemented, it will not cause an increase in traffic on residential roads.
According to Sanral, since the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP) was implemented, there has been more traffic on the freeway, but less congestion.
Zobuzwe Ngobese, of Meropa Communications, which handles Sanral’s public relations, says that since the freeways were upgraded, there has been between 27 per cent to 45 per cent increase in traffic, but the freeways are less congested.
“The bottom line is that the GFIP has a net improvement on the supporting road network, and it attracts more traffic towards the freeway network, even if the freeway network is tolled.
“The reason for that is that the supporting road network is severely congested, and that there is a huge demand for additional road space,” Ngobese says.
Ngobese adds that due to people valuing their time, they are making use of available capacity, even if that capacity comes at a price.
“A Tom Tom study showed that Gauteng is the only metropolitan area with reduced congestion, this mainly as a result of the GFIP.”
Wayne Duvenage, chairperson of the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa), says that e-Tolls will absolutely push people off the freeways and onto suburban roads.
“This e-Toll plan is being forced into being without much consideration to these and other unintended consequences.”
He says that the alternative routes (and transport options) are seriously lacking.
“The Presidential Commission’s review of State-Owned Entities, recommended that social infrastructure should not be subject to the planned user pay model, such as this one that Sanral is planning.
“If indeed e-Tolls are ever launched, it will be a messy affair, with innocent people caught in the mix and significant unintended consequences,” says Duvenage.
