Goodbye Free State, hello Pay State
JOBURG- Will Freestate be next with e-tolls?
Afrikaans daily newspaper Beeld alleged that 1 500km of provincial roads in the Free State could be handed over to the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) for maintenance.
What is unclear is how Sanral would pay for the maintenance of these roads, considering claims that the agency was in the red after not recouping the costs of implementing the e-toll system in Gauteng.
There has however, been no claims that users would have to pay for the maintenance of the roads in the Free State. Commenting in the article, DA MP and shadow minister for transport Ian Ollis said Sanral could toll provincial roads, but that would be accessed with an impact study and would need to be approved by the country’s transport minster before being effective.
If tolls were to be charged on the R64, a provincial road connecting Kimberly to Bloemfontein, and using the same payment e-toll scheme, motorists could pay as much as R95 per 165km trip.
Take our online poll to say if you think the Freestate face e-Tolls or not here.
