North motorists feel pinch of increased toll fares

Motorists in Montana, Doornpoort, Sinoville, Kameeldrift, Roodeplaat and surrounding areas in the north of Pretoria are feeling the financial pinch of recently increased toll fares.

They are calling on Bakwena and SANRAL to implement a discounted toll fee structure for commuters who use the route daily.

Tolls increased from March 1 and motorists are already feeling the burden.

The demand in the form of a petition highlights the heavy financial burden these toll fees place on motorists who have no alternative route for their daily commuters.

Ward councillors in the north of Pretoria said about 65% of the local community go through these toll gates to and from work daily.

Mpho Maseko, a resident of Doornpoort, expressed her frustration, saying, “The toll fees are just too high for daily commuters like me.

“I spend a portion of my salary on tolls alone, and with the cost of living rising, it’s becoming unbearable. We need some form of relief because we have no other option for our route to work,” she said.

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James Khumalo, who lives in Montana and works in Menlyn, shared similar sentiments, adding, “Every day, I use these toll gates, and there’s no way around it.

“It’s unfair that residents who have no alternative are left with such high costs. We need Bakwena and SANRAL to step in and offer discounts to help ease the burden,” said Khumalo.

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Despite their frequent use of the route, these residents do not qualify for any concession, which makes their daily commute financially challenging.

Councillor Arnold van Niekerk said these toll fares are an expense for residents who have no choice but to use these routes every day.

“We need Bakwena and SANRAL to recognise the daily financial strain on the community and introduce a fair discount structure,” said van Niekerk.

With no viable alternative route, residents are forced to pay the full toll fees each time they travel.

Priya Pillay of SANRAL said the toll fees charged at Bakwena have been determined by numerous factors such as:

– the fuel,
– time and vehicle maintenance savings for the road users,
– traffic volumes,
– the length of the section of road,
– the cost of construction, and
– the impact on the affected economies.

Pillay said toll fees are adjusted annually based on the average Consumer Price Index (CPI).

“SANRAL’s objective is to provide and manage an efficient national road network that supports economic and social development.

“Bakwena’s N1/N4 toll network offers reliable access to the mentioned areas. While alternative routes do exist, they would experience significant congestion without the toll roads,” said Pillay.

Pillay said commuters have the choice of using these routes or paying a toll for faster and more convenient travel.

“At Bakwena, the calculation of toll fees and discounts was set at the start of the contract, with predefined regulations agreed upon between SANRAL and Bakwena.

“The toll income from Bakwena’s toll plazas may only be used for the Bakwena N1, N4 route and enables Bakwena to upgrade and maintain this portion up to international engineering standards,” said Pillay.

She said SANRAL aims to support economic growth, and the expansion of northern Pretoria has been significantly boosted by the N1/N4 corridor over the past 25 years.

“There are currently no plans to extend Bakwena’s current discount structure as Bakwena is in the final phase of its concession contract before it hands back to SANRAL.”

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