South Africa’s open-road toll plans welcomed

Creation date: 30 April 2009

One of South Africa's biggest toll road concession companies has welcomed plans to introduce an electronic open-road tolling (ORT) system on the country's highways, but has emphasized that it has no plans to scrap all toll barriers. The Bakwena Platinum Corridor group – which holds tolling concessions on 385km of freeways on the N1 and N4 routes north of Pretoria – says it has been using open road tolling and electronic e-tags since 2002.

Bakwena CEO, Graeme Blewitt, was reacting to an announcement by the SA National Roads Agency (Sanral) that it planned to introduce open-road tolling nationwide. The first roads agency open-tolling system will be launched in Gauteng soon after the 2010 World Cup. Blewitt says his company became the first toll concessionaire in South Africa to offer motorists the option of using e-tags, in March 2002. Bakwena estimates that 10% of car, caravan and motorcycle traffic on the N1 and N4 now uses e-tags, while 50% of traffic in this class still pays cash and 40% uses credit cards.

“Over the seven years of e-tag operation, our experience has been that it facilitates a smoother and more efficient passage for road users and reduces congestion,” says Blewitt. However, he says that there were “operational points” which made it unlikely that Bakwena would do away with all physical barriers in the foreseeable future. “Our toll plazas will still be in operation for some time to come and the infrastructure to manage the booms, and the multiple methods of collection (including e-tags), will still apply.”

Source: http://www.traffictechnologytoday.com/news.php?NewsID=11764