Skip to main content

E-tolling for South Africa’s Gauteng Freeway improvement project

Following a series of consultations with stakeholders, South Africa’s Inter-Ministerial Committee on the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP), led by Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, Cabinet, has recommended that the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) should proceed with the implementation of an e-tolling system.
October 29, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Following a series of consultations with stakeholders, South Africa’s Inter-Ministerial Committee on the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP), led by Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, Cabinet, has recommended that the South African National Roads Agency Limited (2161 SANRAL) should proceed with the implementation of an e-tolling system.

Stakeholders came to the agreement that the tolled roads have improved, and travelling times have been reduced.  Most agreed on the user pay principle and that the e-toll system should be part of a mix of mechanisms employed to address the problem of congestion, as well as to raise funding for the construction and maintenance of freeways.

The project is to be implemented within a broader context of improvements to integrated public transport and improvements to non-toll alternative routes.

Discussions on toll payments, including the use of a fuel levy, came to the conclusion that an e-tag system would provide users with the lowest possible toll fees. The government has proposed that toll fees for e-tag users be capped for light vehicles; monthly toll caps for e-tag registered heavy vehicle users are also introduced.

The government is confident that the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project is an important contributor to keeping South Africa's economic hub moving.  The country's first multi-lane free-flow toll system using Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) will provide road users with a smoother and safer journey.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Tolling systems - interoperability is key
    January 25, 2012
    Is US tolling as fragmented and divided as some would have you believe? And are the technology suppliers so very entrenched? ITS International spoke to the market's leading suppliers. A few years back, the prevalent view was that the North American tolling market was characterised by fragmented, proprietary solutions, each existing in splendid isolation. The reality is that a combination of pragmatism and good old market forces have seen some concerted moves made towards interoperability in many areas.
  • ITS asset management matters
    April 26, 2013
    Maintenance of on-road ITS kit needs to become more sophisticated; while new technologies can deliver better road maintenance. David Crawford investigates both sides of the issue "Good information is key to effective ITS asset maintenance,” says Ian Routledge of the Ian Routledge Consultancy (IRC), whose Imtrac (Information Management for TRAffic Control) system is poised for European expansion. Developed as an ‘intelligent filing cabinet’ for storing information about on-road equipment, the online database
  • EETS: still struggling to become reality
    December 4, 2013
    Erich Erker, Norbert Schindler, Peter Tschulik from Siemens Electronic Tolling examine the barriers to EETS deployment. Tolling in Europe was introduced to pay for the construction and operation of individual tunnels, bridges and highways and has evolved in major steps. The original manual tolling systems were highly disruptive to traffic flow and required the creation of large toll plazas, with multiple lanes and toll booths to ensure an acceptable throughput. With the introduction of Dedicated Short Range
  • Weigh in motion reduces road wear, increases toll revenue
    January 24, 2012
    IRD, Inc's Terry Bergan discusses future applications of weigh in motion technology. The application in recent years of Weigh In Motion (WIM) at tollgates has been driven by recognition of the fact that there is economic value, which can be levied, attached to Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) which haul laden (and are therefore heavy) rather than empty. As wear and damage to road surfaces increases exponentially with weight, the targeting of HGVs in particular makes sense from both the economic and maintenance p