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Garth Bolton,
CEO of Cargo Carriers and director of the Road Freight Association.: "Government is not providing their customers with the service they require." |
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While the Government has argued that road congestion can be adequately dealt with and the country's infrastructure and freight effectiveness improved by investing in infrastructural areas such as rail and public transport, Garth Bolton, joint CEO of Cargo Carriers and Director of the Road Freight Association, argues against this saying the Government's policy is incorrect. In this article, he argues that congestion should be relieved by extending investment in road infrastructure.
The congestion caused by lack of roads creates a huge antagonism towards trucks, which are seen to further aggravate the situation. A CSRI study has shown that rail moves one third of the country's freight. Trucks represent 4% of the number of vehicles on South African roads. However, they travel five times further than average cars and therefore constitute 20% of all road traffic.
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Budgeted rail infrastructure expenditure over the next five years is R46-billion. Budgeted road infrastructure spend over the next five years is R60-billion. However, a large portion of this expenditure is on uneconomical smaller roads in remote rural areas such as the Eastern Cape (former Transkei).
Growth in the vehicle population has exceeded 7% in the last number of years. This compound growth means doubling the vehicle population in ten years. Logically then, expenditure on busy roads would relieve not only congestion for two thirds of the freight moved but would also relieve congestion for the vast majority of car users. Expenditure on rail infrastructure will only assist one third of the freight moved and will have only a marginal effect on diminishing truck numbers.
Government studies in assessing the advantages of different modes of transport, namely road versus rail, do not attach any value to people's time while they sit in congestion.
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Expenditure on
busy roads would relieve not only
congestion for two thirds of the freight moved but would also relieve
congestion for the vast majority of car users argues Garth Bolton. |
The most frustrating aspect of the current situation is that the provision of more road infrastructure - with the additional fuel tax which increased road capacity would bring - would be highly profitable for the country's fiscus. One hundred kilometres of the Ben Schoeman freeway generates in excess of R450-million per annum in fuel taxes based on an average of 150 000 vehicle passes per day. Multiplied over 20 years of its life, this equates to R9-billion. The estimated cost of building a 100 km Ben Schoeman equivalent is R2-billion. This highlights the case that road provision is a highly profitable undertaking for Government.
International experience has shown that the institution of punitive fuel taxes and high costs associated with using cars have not successfully resulted in moving people to public transport. The bottom line here is that Government should let its citizens choose the infrastructure they require. With car sales shooting through the roof because of a burgeoning black middle class, it seems those citizens are voting with their wallets. Government is therefore not providing their customers with the service they require.
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Gautrain is highly questionable
The mindset of Government has been that roads are secondary to other service delivery priorities. But now there is a budget surplus and resources are being directed to other infrastructural areas such as the Gautrain. The Gautrain appeared viable when it was to cost R7-billion but with cost estimates now at some R24-billion, its viability is highly questionable.
The Gautrain will carry 100 000 passengers per day, whereas the Ben Schoeman carries 150 000 cars per day for the cost of only R2-billion and furthermore, it will be profitable. Would it therefore not be a far better proposition to invest in freeways?
Pollution arguments against more road infrastructure need to be investigated more closely. New car emissions are far lower and the Government is allowing massive CO2 emissions when it suits them - as in the case of the Coega Alusmelter where tax-breaks are given while there is a requirement to burn large volumes of coal in order to power the smelter.
Somehow the Government views a better road system as inefficient and is effectively instituting a punitive system against its own citizens who are obviously in favour of road use. Roads are not a drain but a positive benefit to the economy and development of the country.
South African cities do not want to find themselves becoming uneconomic by being gridlocked through lack of forward planning and investment in infrastructure, as experienced in our ports and by Eskom. The Government should be profiting from the provision of roads and meeting the requirements of its citizens.
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