All these road works - heard a rumour...

[Patty]

I heard a rumour that they are going to convert majority of Gauteng highways into toll roads. They are keeping quite about it for now. These toll roads would also scan number plates for outstanding fines... stolen vehicles etc!

Any truth to this?

 

[Eh!]

Yes, it's the truth and will be a mess. People living in the northern suburbs and the traffic in those areas will turn from worse to hell. Even now, when theres no accident between JhB and PTA on the N1, a HUGE number of commuters take the backroads through the suburbs. Can you imagine the chaos when commuters drive through these areas just to avoid the toll charges?

 

[RazedInBlack]

Its a conspiracy!

 

[Gnome]

Also heard the story, it's totally plausible seeing as that is the way it goes in many other countries, notable the United States and taxes like congestion charge in the UK.

 

[Ice2Cool]

like in kzn, if u commute the highways with tolls for work, u get a special disc which gives u a free pass through the toll.

 

[Cyberdude]

I think its true, also heard about that.

 

[supersunbird]

Well, I see they aren't upgrading the N14 and its slowly falling apart... I wonder if that will be tolled?

 

[hsmnel]

They are not keeping quite about it. Have been in al the major news papers with the expected cost several times now!

 

[Pilgrim]

Also heard the story, it's totally plausible seeing as that is the way it goes in many other countries, notable the United States and taxes like congestion charge in the UK.

The problem is that over there you have the option of taking public transport. Using your own car is a luxury.

Over here using your own car is a necessity, yet you are going to be double taxed for it.

So, how many things in this country is double taxed by now?

Private Health care? Check.
Private Security? Check.
Private Schools? Check.
Private TV? Check. (SABC is so useless, you have to use DSTV if you want anything of value)
Private Transport? Getting there.

What is next? Private Water and Electricity?

 

[Waaib]

In Dubai all cars must be fitted with some kind of gadget. If you dont have the gadget you can't renew your registration.

The gadget talks to toll gates and bleeps as you drive through them. The gates themselves are just big bridges that span the road and don't hold up traffic in any way. Most have got billboards or road signage on them. Several of the main (usually congested) roads have toll gates on them. When you take taxi's there they actaully ask if they can use the toll roads and when you go under the toll bridge you see the fare jump by 4 dirhams (R8,00).

Each year you pay your tolls in one go when you renew your registration. They also give speeding fines if the receviers pick up that you've gone through two in an amount of time shorter than the speed limit would allow. In some cases you only have 24hours to pay and they let you know via SMS. All very space age.

 

[davemc]

All this money spent on forcing us to pay to use our own roads, when the petrol tax achieves exactly the same objective.

Seems like a completely idiotic way of penalising us for earning money to pay tax to build the systems that penalise us.

Now, if there was an alternative transport system out there, then perhaps this could be justified. However, I am pretty damn sure that the cost of using the alternate transport system could include the "toll fee".

But, that's just me.

 

[JK8]

Yip also heard this, 50c toll fees, R1.50 from PTA to JHB central...

 

[McGuywer]

It is true.

More here: http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php?t=45348

The N1 will be tolled, using a camera device, you drive under a "bridge", then it picks up your number plate and you (or the car owner) gets tolled.

 

[BCO]

Use Gautrain / car pools. I'm not opposed to these tolls, specially on the Pta/JHB N1/N3.

Tolling these roads will reduce congestion and pollution - all good IMO having fewer cars with one occupant on the freeways.

 

[TelkomUseless]

Use Gautrain / car pools. I'm not opposed to these tolls, specially on the Pta/JHB N1/N3.

Tolling these roads will reduce congestion and pollution - all good IMO having fewer cars with one occupant on the freeways.

We carpooled for a while in the same company. Very tricky.. because when one needs to go.. everyone has to go. It works.. but very difficult.

If the tain is safe, nice I will ride train.. but I want to see that is safe first...