Barry Streek
The government spends just R3,9-billion of the R26-billion it receives annually in taxes and licence fees on roads – despite a R23-billion backlog in road maintenance and development.
Government underspending could prove a costly error. A recent high court ruling found that, in terms of the Constitution, the authorities are civilly liable for any accidents caused by preventable road defects.
The Southern African Bitumen Association has told Parliament’s transport committee that in 1999 there were 520 000 road accidents involving 10 000 deaths, 40 000 serious injuries and 86 000 minor injuries – these cost R12-billion.
The association says that conditions on South Africa’s 500 000km road network contributed to 20% of these accidents and a further 10% occurred as a direct result of bad roads.
National and provincial governments could be liable for about R3,6-billion in damages for accidents, according to the association’s researchers. If the situation is left unattended, the state could find itself defending between 70 000 and 140 000 accident suits a year, it adds.
The high court found the Cape Town metropolitan council was liable for damage caused to a car on Chapman’s Peak Drive, on grounds that it had a duty to exercise extreme care and take reasonable precautions to avoid or minimise the risk of injury to road users.
The association and the treasury’s recent intergovernment fiscal review for 2001 agree the backlog in road infrastructure development is R23-billion. About 53% of this is for maintenance and rehabilitation, 28% for upgrading and 19% for new roads. They both said R10-billion was needed annually to address the backlog, and that between R4-billion and R5,8-billion was needed every year to eradicate maintenance and rehabilitation backlogs over the next five years.
The R26-billion paid by road users every year comes from the levy on petrol, toll-road fees, licence fees, traffic fines, operator licences, roadworthy certificates and vehicle registration fees – about 12% of government revenue, according to the association.
The worst backlogs are in the Eastern Cape, followed by the Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and the Northern Province.
The researchers say that inadequate expenditure on roads will lead to lost investment and other damage to much-needed wealth creation. ”It is also clear that the lives of the poor are made worse by inadequate roads and the consequent absence of a safe, convenient and cheap form of travel.”