Wednesday, August 11, 2010

NATIONAL ROAD SYSTEM UPDATE - RE TOLL GATES

JOHANNESBURG 12 JULY 2010 08:00

Gauteng's prepaid toll solution to become the national standard

When Gautengers are tolled for using the provinces busiest freeways in early
2011, the system will work somewhat like a prepaid cell phone contract.

South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) senior project manager
Alex van Niekerk says car owners will be asked to set up accounts, either by
phoning in or going to a website, and to then load money into these accounts
before entering the tolling system, or to link payment to their credit
cards.

Once this is done, commuters must go to an outlet to get an electronic tag
or trans- ponder, to be displayed on their front windscreens. Commuters will
not be charged for this tag, says Van Niekerk.

"There will be a one-tag standard," he adds. "You will be able to go through
any toll gate in South Africa - not only in Gauteng - with this tag."

The tag means the toll transaction is a quick, electronic one, with no
physical toll gates where money is collected.

Motorists simply pass underneath a gantry housing the equipment, which reads
the tag while also taking a photo of the licence plates as soon as their
vehicles break a laser beam.

This so-called open-road tolling system also classifies the vehicle in terms
of size, charging the appropriate amount.

Gantries are placed along and at entry points on the freeways, such as on-
and off-ramps.

The entire phase one of the Gauteng freeway system under toll - 185 km of
road - will be looked after by ten satellite centres, which will act as the
first line of incident management, dispatching medical assistance if needed.

The roads will be monitored by closed-circuit television cameras.

"Sanral already has tow trucks on standby in case of vehicle breakdowns,"
explains Van Niekerk.

"Methods have been devised to track down commuters who attempt to avoid
paying toll fees", he adds.

Should a vehicle not have a tag, system operators will type in the licence
plate number from the photo which has been taken, thereby tracking down the
owner.

Van Niekerk says violations will include not carrying a tag, driving a
vehicle that cannot be identified, and having insufficient funds.

When this happens, a motorist will receive an invoice, and then an
infringement notice (which is equivalent to a fine), followed by a courtesy
letter, an enforcement order and, finally, the issue of a warrant.

Should a visitor outside Gauteng enter the system, signage will warn the
motorist to go to the nearest satellite centre to register, or to phone a
toll-free number.

It may also be possible to buy a day pass at a retail outlet before entering
the system.

Van Niekerk says the proposed toll fee is currently set at 50c/km, but notes
that inflation has probably impacted on this already.

He says a discount will be offered to regular users, using a sliding scale.

Van Niekerk explains that this means a commuter will pay the full fee for
the first ten trips, for example, with costs then reducing in a step-by-step
fashion the further the commuter travels.

Public transport vehicles, such as minibus taxis, will have the benefit of
driving in the lanes reserved for vehicles with three or more occupants, as
well as receiving a discount on toll fees.

Tolling will be the method used to fund the Gauteng Free Improvement
Project, which is a multiphase project currently under way to expand and
widen the province's freeway network, currently choking under increased
congestion.

Phase one carries an estimated R15,1-billion price tag, excluding Vat.

Van Niekerk says implementing the toll scheme comes after extensive market
research - 27 000 interviews - in aspects of commuter behaviour.

He adds that some other city freeways in the country are currently under
investigation to become toll roads, such as the N1/N2 approach to Cape Town,
and the R300 Cape Town ring road. Also included are the roads around the new
Dube Trade Port, in Durban.



PROJECT 1: N1 Between Golden Highway and Midrand (Government Notice 962 of
Gazette 30372) Off-ramps where toll gantry's will be situated:
Jukskei (Between Allandale and Buccleuch) Woodmead (Between Buccleuch and
Rivionia Road) Main Road (Between Rivonia Road and William Nicol) Curzon
Road (Between William Nicol and Hans Strydom) Hans Strydom (Between Hans
Strydom and Beyers Naude) 9th Avenue (Between Beyers Naude and 14th Avenue)
Gordon Road (Between Gordon Road and Maraisburg) New Canada (Between
Maraisburg and Soweto Interchange) Rand Show (Between Soweto Interchange and
Rand Show Interchange) Diepkloof (Between Diepkloof Interchange and Golden
Highway)

Comments to be directed to:
The Regional Manager: Northern Region
South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) POSTNET SUITE 110
PRIVATE BAG X19 MENLO PARK
0102
FAX: 086-647-0694

PROJECT 2: N1 Between Midrand and Proefplaas (Government Notice 963 of
Gazette 30372) Off-ramps where toll gantry's will be situated:
New Road (Between New Road and Olifantsfontein) SamRand (Between
Olifantsfontein and SamRand) Nellmapius (Between Rooihuiskraal and
Brakfontein Interchange) Technopark (Between Brakfontein and John Vorster)
Airforce Base (Between Botha Ave and Flying Saucer Interchange) Waterkloof
(Between Flying Saucer Interchange and Rigel Avenue Interchange) Kings
Highway (Between Lynwood Rd and N4 Interchange)

Comments to be directed to:
The Regional Manager: Northern Region
South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) POSTNET SUITE 129
PRIVATE BAG X19 MENLO PARK
0102
FAX: 086-647-0695

PROJECT 3: N4 Between Proefplaas and Swartkoppies (Government Notice 964 of
Gazette 30372) Off-ramps where toll gantry's will be situated:
Botanical Gardens (Between Proefplaas Interchange and Val de Grace
Interchange)
Equestria (Between Simon Vermooten and Swartkoppies Interchange)

Comments to be directed to:
The Regional Manager: Northern Region
South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) POSTNET SUITE 108
PRIVATE BAG X19 MENLO PARK
0102
FAX: 086-647-0699

PROJECT 4: N3 Between Heidelberg and Buccleuch (Government Notice 965 of
Gazette 30372) Off-ramps where toll gantry's will be situated:
Buccleuch (Between Buccleuch Interchange and Marlboro Drive) London Road
(Between Marlboro Drive and London Road) Modderfontein Road (Between
Modderfontein Interchange and Linksfield Road) Linksfield (Between
Linksfield Road and Gilooly's Interchange) Kloof (Between Kloof Road and
Geldenhuys Interchange) Geldenhuys Interchange (Between Geldenhuys
Interchange and Rand Airport
Interchange)
Rand Airport Interchange (Between Geldenhuys Interchange and Rand Airport
Interchange)
Heidelberg Road (Between Grey Avenue and Heidelberg Road)

Comments to be directed to:
The Regional Manager: Northern Region
South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) POSTNET SUITE 146
PRIVATE BAG X19 MENLO PARK
0102
FAX: 086-647-0696

PROJECT 5: N12 Between Gilooly's and Gauteng/Mpumalanga Provincial Border
(Government Notice 966 of Gazette 30372) Off-ramps where toll gantry's will
be situated:
Bedfordview (Between Gilooly's Interchange and R24 Interchange) Rietfontein
(Between Jet Park Interchange and Rietfontein Interchange) Atlas Road
(Between Rondebult Interchange and Atlas Road) Tom Jones (Between Atlas Road
and Tom Jones)

Comments to be directed to:
The Regional Manager: Northern Region
South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) POSTNET SUITE 107
PRIVATE BAG X19 MENLO PARK
0102
FAX: 086-647-0698

PROJECT 6: N12 Between Diepkloof and Elands Interchange (Government Notice
967 of Gazette 30372)
Off-ramps where toll gantry's will be situated:
Ridgeway (Between Diepkloof Interchange and Ridgeway Interchange) Kliprivier
(Between Klip Rivier Bridge and Comaro) Comaro (Between Comaro and Reading
Interchange) Reading (Between Reading Interchange and Voortrekker
Interchange)

Comments to be directed to:
The Regional Manager: Northern Region
South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) POSTNET SUITE 139
PRIVATE BAG X19 MENLO PARK
0102
FAX: 086-647-0697


FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT SANRAL NORTHERN REGION ON:

TEL: 012 426 6200

FAX: 012 348 0883

EMAIL: info@nra.co.za

Comments by Sonny

This system will open

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