Increase in Mpumalanga toll fees expected to hit tourism

SELF-DRIVE Tourists travelling on the N4 between Gauteng and Mpumalanga have to cough up even more along South Africa's most expensive toll road following a higher than expected increase in toll fees in Mpumalanga this week. The toll fees, already higher than on any other toll road in South Africa, have been cited as a key reason behind drops in tourism arrivals in the province's Lowveld region. A return trip in a light car along the 400km stretch of N4 highway between Johannesburg and Komatipoort will now cost R167, as opposed to R160. The increases are at the Middelburg, Machado and Nkomazi toll plazas, where sedan motorists will pay R23, R34,50 and R26 respectively. Vehicles of five axles or more will pay R100, R200 and R111 respectively. Trevor Jackson, chief executive of the company that manages the toll road, Trans African Concessions (Trac) said the adjustment in tariffs coincided with annual adjustments on all South African toll routes. "The fees collected will be used to carry out future expansions, upgrading and maintenance," said Jackson. He said Trac was committed to ensuring the safety of all N4 toll users and that accidents had dropped significantly since Trac took over the road four years ago. (African Eye News Service)