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Since 2013, provincial governments have transferred 13,000km of roads to the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) for management and maintenance.
Transport minister Barbara Creecy warned in parliament on Tuesday this was not a sustainable long-term strategy and could ultimately undermine Sanral’s ability to maintain the national road network without widespread tolling.
To address the issue, government plans to convene a joint meeting between National Treasury and the department of transport through the ministers and MECs forum to explore ways to front-load the provincial poad maintenance grant, allowing provinces to upgrade priority roads sooner.
Creecy was tabling the department of transport’s R102bn budget vote aimed at building a transformed transport system serving commuters, freight operators and export industries.
She said Sanral is expected to receive almost R31bn this year to maintain, rehabilitate, upgrade and expand the road network.
“These funds will be used for capital expenditure on the non-toll network, Gauteng freeway improvement project operations, the N2 Wild Coast route including major bridge construction, new sections of national highways and the development of the Moloto Road corridor,” she said.
The infrastructure projects are expected to improve road safety, shorten travel distances and create more than 35,000 jobs while supporting more than 2,000 small enterprises.
“Investment in public infrastructure projects is a significant catalyst for job creation and economic development,” Creecy said.
She said the revitalisation of the passenger rail system continued to gain momentum, with annual passenger journeys surpassing 100-million by the end of March 2026, a sixfold increase over four years.
According to Creecy, this reflects investment in infrastructure, rolling stock, security and institutional reform.
“In Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape, we are increasing train frequencies, improving security, reducing vandalism and ensuring connectivity for communities previously excluded from reliable transport services,” she said.
“Effective passenger rail systems must be integrated with other modes of transport to ensure safety and efficiency.”
The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) has restored operations on 37 of 40 priority commuter corridors and is expected to carry about 116-million passenger journeys this year, though this remains below the government’s five-year target of 600-million journeys.
In April, Creecy opened the draft National Rail Master Plan for public consultation, outlining a long-term framework to reposition rail as the backbone of the logistics and transport system. The draft plan seeks to rebuild freight and passenger rail capacity, address infrastructure constraints and shift more freight and commuters from road to rail.
The decline of rail has contributed to congestion, road deterioration and safety concerns, while increasing transport costs and reducing efficiency across the economy.
Reviewing the RAF system
Creecy said the department is also reviewing the proposed Road Accident Fund (RAF) Bill to reduce contingent state liability through the introduction of a no-fault system and a standardised injury compensation framework.
The RAF compensates and rehabilitates people injured in motor vehicle accidents, but continues to face mounting pressure from a growing backlog of claims, legal disputes and financial constraints linked to the country’s high accident rate.
The government is exploring a hybrid funding model combining public and private contributions to reduce pressure on the fiscus.
Creecy said: “We wish to emphasise road safety is a national crisis. Last year, South Africa lost more than 11,418 lives on our roads, one of the worst rates globally.”
TimesLIVE
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