Tembakazi Mnyaka, chairman of SA National Roads Agency Limited (
Last week (20 November), Transport Minister\u00a0Dipuo Peters<\/a>\u00a0announced that\u00a0e-tolls will commence on 3 December 2013 on Gauteng\u2019s highways.<\/p>\n In an opinion article for BusinessDay<\/a>, Mnayka said that news\u00a0about the so-called “downside” of the e-tolling project is vastly exaggerated.<\/p>\n The chair opined that the\u00a0financial\u00a0effect of e-tolling would not be significant.<\/p>\n “Take a look at the oft-repeated assertion that e-tolling will cost you an arm and a leg. Respected economist Azar Jammine of Econometrix did the sums: the drain on total private consumption expenditure will be about 0.1% \u2014 that is, R1 for every R1,000.”<\/p>\n “For those in Gauteng, it will automatically be higher \u2014 at 0.3%, or R3 for R1,000 spent. Mr Jammine is not a great fan of e-tolling but even he acknowledges the effect will not be that significant,”\u00a0Mnayka said.<\/p>\n Sanral warned that those parties\u00a0advising people to go on a campaign of civil disobedience, were in fact being asked to break the law. “Let\u2019s be clear about that: you are being asked to break the law because your costs might go up by R3 for every R1,000 you spend.”<\/p>\n “To achieve what? A show of strength or to plant a seed that society may later regret? When society reaps the whirlwind of civil disobedience, no one emerges a winner.”<\/p>\n Mnayka said that government had listened to, “and bent over backwards” to accommodate legitimate concerns.<\/p>\n “If you are worried that you travel these wonderful highways frequently and this will mean increased costs, don\u2019t be: there are frequent user discounts. The more you drive on the highways, the more the unit cost comes down,”\u00a0Mnayka said.<\/p>\n Sanral noted that the time of day in which motorists traveled would\u00a0also influence the amount payable. “Drive when there is less traffic and it will cost you less.”<\/p>\n There is also a cap of R450 a month and it has been calculated that less than 1% of road users will pay that sum. Almost 83% of all road users will have to pay less than R100,”\u00a0Mnayka said.<\/p>\n “These are the simple facts about\u00a0e-tolling. The rest that you, the ordinary road user, have heard or read is so over the top you can safely ignore it.”<\/p>\n “When e-tolling kicks in, you will be surprised at how little your pocket has been affected \u2014 and wonder what the fuss and noise was all about,” the chairman said.<\/p>\n E-tolls: pay up or else<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n DA launches new anti-e-toll billboards<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n E-tolls get a start date<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n E-tolls to help fight apartheid legacy?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nMore on e-tolls<\/h3>\n