‘Ordinary Users Won’t Pay’: Sanral Plans Special Toll Roads for Heavy Trucks to Combat Road Damage

The South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) is considering introducing “special toll roads” aimed specifically at heavy freight vehiclesthose whose weight and volume are rapidly deteriorating parts of the country’s road network.

Board chair Themba Mhambi told Parliament’s Select Committee on Public Infrastructure on Tuesday that the agency does not want ordinary road users to bear the burden of the proposal.

“Indeed, we do not want ordinary members of the public to suffer as a result thereof, so our focus is really going to be on freight traffic that ordinarily should not be on those roads,” he said.

Why the Focus on Trucks?

The rationale is straightforward: many of South Africa’s major roads were built in the 1960s and 1970s, long before current axle mass limits for trucks were established. They were simply not designed for the weight or volume of traffic they now carry.

Gavin Kelly, CEO of the Road Freight Association (RFA), acknowledged the reality. “These roads cannot withstand the weight or volume of traffic they are currently carrying,” he said.

However, Kelly noted that he had only just learned of the proposal and could not comment fully without understanding the government’s reasoning.

The Rail Alternative

Sanral’s proposal aligns with a parallel push by Transnet to shift heavy freight from road back to rail. Group CEO Michelle Phillips told the same committee that there is “significant focus” on this shift, with Sanral assisting in the process.

“We are working together to be successful in the shift of the freight, especially heavy freight, from road to rail,” she said.

For Sanral, the logic is clear: if heavy freight returns to rail, roads will last longer, and the need for punitive tolls may diminish.

R8 Billion in Budget Cuts

The special toll roads proposal comes at a difficult time for the agency. Mhambi confirmed that Sanral’s budget has been cut by approximately R8 billion in the current financial year.

CFO Pretty Makukule detailed the impact: an initial cut of about R5 billion, followed by a further R1.9 billion reduction communicated just last week.

Makukule said management is analysing projects and planning “a serious reprioritisation exercise to ensure that it doesn’t affect our projects severely.”

Mhambi acknowledged that the cuts could impact Sanral’s performance, but expressed confidence that National Treasury would remain supportive where delivery is demonstrated.

Where Does Fuel Levy Money Go?

Kelly argued that the government should ensure that funds collected for road maintenance through the fuel levy are used for their intended purpose”not used as a fund to fix education and the next thing, which is what is happening.”

It’s a longstanding complaint from the freight industry: road users pay for roads through fuel taxes, but those funds are diverted to general revenue. Special tolls, in this context, feel like paying twice.

Contractor Woes

Sanral also briefed the committee on a separate issue: a contractor awarded approximately 11 contracts nationwide was unable to complete the work, leading to cancellations and missed resurfacing targets.

Mhambi said the matter is under investigation, and no referral to Treasury for blacklisting has occurred yet. “Should there be any finding of any wrongdoing on anybody’s part, there will be the relevant consequence management,” he said.

The agency also continues to grapple with underpricing in tenders, where the emphasis on lowest bids under procurement rules makes it difficult to reject unrealistically low offers.

What Comes Next

The special toll roads proposal is still at the conceptual stage. Details on how they would be implemented, which routes would be affected, and how charges would be structured have not been finalised.

But the direction is clear: as roads deteriorate and budgets shrink, the heaviest users will be asked to pay more. Whether that translates into fewer trucks on the roador simply higher costs for goodsremains to be seen.