South Africa is joining the several international countries, regions and cities looking for better funding options to finance the maintenance and construction of new roads and transport infrastructure. Stellenbosch University, the Western Cape government, Sabita and SARF are inviting South Africans to have their say by participating in a research study on people’s opinions and perceptions of road user charges.
Roads and all transport infrastructure allow us to reach employment opportunities; to deliver goods, services and labour to places of consumption and production; to deliver outputs to markets; and bring consumers to the marketplace. Roads allow us to attend sport and cultural events, visit friends and family, and travel to all parts of our beautiful, expansive and diverse country.
South Africa’s road network is among the largest in the world, attempting to serve all its people - and is a source of pride. We have roughly 750 000 km of paved, gravel and dirt roads criss-crossing our extensive country. Maintaining, upgrading and expanding this national asset is important - and demand sufficient and stable revenue.
South African road users pay a fuel levy per litre of fuel used, but these “pay-at-the-pump” type levies face long term sustainability problems. As vehicles become more fuel efficient, they use less fuel and they pay less tax. Hybrid and electric vehicles pay even less or no road use tax, for the use of the same roads.
HAVE YOUR SAY
We deserve a national road user charge system that would ensure that everyone who drives on South Africa's roads pays their share of the costs involved in creating and ensuring the upkeep of them. This charge should be fair, transparent and sustainable.
South Africa is joining the several international countries, regions and cities looking for better funding options to charge road users for the use of the roads, and to finance the maintenance and construction of new roads and transport infrastructure.
Stellenbosch University, the Western Cape government, the Southern African Bitumen Association (Sabita) and the South African Road Federation (SARF) invite you to participate in a research study on people’s opinions and perceptions of road user charges.
Go to https://bit.ly/3YW2cKc to complete the survey.