Toll increases abound for embattled consumers
According to the AA the increasing costs associated with road travel in South Africa will make everything more expensive, and will certainly have a direct and indirect impact on consumers.
TOLL fees across South Africa will increase again on 1 March, adding yet more financial pain to already embattled consumers. The Automobile Association (AA) says these increases will coincide with a likely increase to fuel prices in March, which, given the current data, look set to be significant.
These increases will apply country-wide to all tolled roads.
“With the increase to fuel levies which comes into effect in April, the addition of a Carbon Tax on fuel (effective in June), the likely increase to fuel prices in March, and, now, the increase to toll fees across the country, consumers will see their money diminish even more.
“It may be convenient to keep increases in line with inflation from a messaging perspective but the reality is that multiple increases to taxes, levies and tolls will have a cumulative effect. Consumers who are already struggling to make ends meet in our fragile economy will be even more hard-pressed now with the result that many may be forced to make decisions on whether to continue paying for e-tolls. The South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) may not like the outcome of these decisions,” said the AA.
“Clarifying exactly what the way forward is for e-tolls is critical, especially given the significant differences of approach between different structures. This is leading to substantial confusion among the province’s road users,” said the AA.
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According to the AA the increasing costs associated with road travel in South Africa will make everything more expensive, and will certainly have a direct and indirect impact on consumers.
“It also makes it harder for job seekers to find work as few of them have the resources to pay current transport costs, let alone increased fees. This, in particular, is worrying given the country’s high unemployment rate,” said the AA.
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