We care for the poor – Sanral

“The rise began some time ago, and it has steadily been climbing,” he adds.

According to Mona, ordinary people know that buying food means one has to reach deep into one’s pocket, so it is with buying fuel.

“The spike in fuel comes at the same time as electricity costs and municipal rates increases. The petrol price increase that came into effect recently also adds to the cost of living,” he says.

The increased cost of living is one of the reasons why Sanral has taken its role of providing good and well-managed roads seriously while considering the wider socio-economic impact.

“Because of the controversy and the misinformation surrounding the introduction of e-Tolling, it is an easy jump to blame all-round price rises on the way the government has decided to finance the inner Gauteng highways.

“But that is utterly preposterous,” says Mona.

“All-round increased costs have come about because the rand fell so sharply over time against most currencies, but particularly the American dollar.

“Fuel costs have soared, as all motorists know. So have electricity prices.

“To fend as much for the poor and the working class as possible, the government has exempted registered public transport from e-Tolling.

“Facts are too easily ignored and emotion takes over when e-Tolling is discussed,” says Mona.

“The government’s commitment to the poor and its continuing attempts to shield the poor and the workers from even more price hikes, can best be exemplified by the fact that the highest earning quintile will bear 94 per cent of the toll fees, and when the second quintile is added, this figure goes up to 99 per cent.

“So when you pull up at a fuel pump, the higher price rate you pay has nothing to do with e-Tolling. What we see, rather, is that those who complain are expressing middle-class views, the quintiles who will indeed bear most of the cost and can afford to.”