Travelling is fulfilling, and more worth the time when going on vacations, and sharing picture moments and memories.

SANRAL is a state-owned agency responsible for the planning, design, construction and maintenance of the national road network and will play a decisive role in the provision of the strategic infrastructure required to achieve the 5% economic growth rate envisaged by government.

With a broad theme “Moving South Africa Forward,” state President, Jacob Zuma, emphasised that the National Infrastructure Development Plan continues to be a “key job driver and catalyst for economic growth.”

Zuma also said road improvement and the expansion of transport networks is a priority focus area of the country’s plans to invest more than R4-trillion in strategic infrastructure and this “augurs well for economic growth.”

In the coming year the Department of Transport will spend about R11 billion on the upgrading and maintenance of roads which are not tolled – and a further R9 billion on the Sihamba Sonke programme, intended to maintain provincial roads. SANRAL is increasingly responsible for the upkeep of provincial roads at the requests of provincial governments.

The President’s remarks were also reflected in submissions recently made by SANRAL and the Department of Transport to the Review Panel appointed to consider the impact of e-tolling in Gauteng.

The Minister of Transport, Ms Dipuo Peters stressed the fact that road funding policy is determined by Government and SANRAL is the implementing agency which operates and manages the 21 403 km national road network.

SANRAL receives the bulk of its funding from the fiscus but it is also required to generate additional funds through the issuing of bonds and other borrowing instruments to fund its tolled roads portfolio. This debt is, in turn, serviced by means of toll payable by users who make use of the modern and well-maintained toll roads.

In his address to Parliament, President Zuma said the government will spend about R6-billion in 13 cities in the country during the next financial year to plan and implement integrated public transport networks. SANRAL has already played a role in helping with integrated public transport networks in that it was the implementing agent for construction for the Tshwane Rapid Transit, A Re Yeng bus system.