The Department of Roads and Transport is determined to ensure that Gauteng residents are not unduly prejudiced when the e-toll system will be implemented on 3 December 2013. As part of its preparations the Department has upgraded a number of alternative roads to the portions of the freeway network earmarked for tolling. Today, the Department launches its campaign to popularise the alternative, no-toll routes through a number of media platforms so that the public can exercise a degree of choice when using the provincial road network.
The reality in our province is that the vast majority of residents use public transport – taxis, busses and trains – for daily commuting to work and home. Road based public transport operators are exempted from the toll fees and this should have no adverse impact on commuter travel fares.
Also, the Department assures the public that it will maintain the alternative, provincial routes to an acceptable and safe level on an on-going basis so as to obviate concerns that the secondary road network will be degraded through the anticipated increase in traffic volumes on these routes.
The Gauteng Provincial Government has supported the freeway improvement project for the socio-economic benefits of the project to our province and its people. In short, these are:
- It has successfully upgraded 201 km of our highway network to world-class standard for long term public use;
- It has created 21 901 jobs in Gauteng during the construction phase; 20 619 of these were males and 1 282 of these were females;
- It has empowered a total of 310 enterprises, which include 115 large Black companies and 195 Black SMMEs with the total value of work awarded to these companies amounting to R1.28 billion; and
- It has created 1300 permanent tolling related jobs at the SANRAL Control Centre.
In addition, there will be an emergency medical, towing and patrol services on the freeway network to facilitate incident-free and ease of mobility.
Finally, residents are urged to contact SANRAL on 0800SANRAL (0800 726 725) for any information on the registration and tagging procedures.
For more information, please contact:
Department of Roads and Transport Head of Communications, Ms Octavia Mamabolo
Tel: 011 355 7300
Cell: 082 316 8666
E-mail:
Octavia.Mamabolo@gauteng.gov.za
