Distance-based road user charges as a road cost recovery method : a South African case study
| dc.contributor.advisor | Krygsman, S. C. | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Booysen, M. J. | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.author | van Rensburg, Johann Andre | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.other | Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Logistics. | en_ZA |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-02-13T10:32:04Z | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-04-27T02:14:41Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2024-02-13T10:32:04Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2024-04-27T02:14:41Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2024-03 | |
| dc.description | Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2024. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | ENGLISH SUMMARY: Transport infrastructure, especially relating to the road sector, is an important pillar to facilitate economic development and growth in any country. Roads, however, are subject to large capital outlays for new construction and upgrades, requiring timely maintenance to ensure transport links that are in a satisfactory condition to meet road user demand, improve accessibility and mobility, and reduce vehicle-operating cost. Despite the background of the infrastructure’s importance, the road sector is continuing to experience funding deficits, meaning that the current financing and funding methods (also known as road cost recovery methods) are unable to meet budgetary requirements. This study argues that distance-based road user charges, using Global Positioning System enabled vehicle tracking devices coupled with a short-run marginal social cost fare structure, could potentially augment the research on road cost recovery for an improved road funding framework given the characteristics of the South African road sector. This hypothesis was tested by assessing i) how the South African road-funding framework currently performs in terms of its ability to secure funding for the road sector. Secondly assessing ii) how it will perform in the future, followed by calculating iii) the correct charges to be levied for road use. Lastly, iv) the public acceptability of road cost recovery methods and v) the operational and economic viability of implementing a distance-based road user charge system in South Africa was assessed. The findings indicate that the South African road funding framework currently collects a large amount of revenue from road users annually, but this is less than what is invested in actual road infrastructure. Compared to select developed countries in terms of how much revenue South Africa collects and spends on road infrastructure as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product, it is definitely not below the norm. The fuel levy, however, although collecting the bulk of the revenue from road users, is becoming increasingly unproductive. It was found that technological and societal trends will have an incremental impact on the future revenue collected from road users in the short to medium term, without necessarily being disruptive. Calculations indicate that the average road user might already be paying more than their fair share of road cost per kilometre of travel and that deriving a short-run marginal social cost fare structure which represents fair and efficient road user charges, as required by the user-pay principle, is by no means an easy endeavour. A public opinion survey indicated that road users in general do not know the amount of costs they pay for using the road network and that they still favour the fuel levy as the main road cost recovery method to be used in South Africa. Simultaneously, they view distance-based road user charges as an acceptable supplementary option. Through a vehicle tracking study, it was determined that a distance-based road user charge system is operationally feasible and economically viable in South Africa and that if implemented with a short-run marginal social cost fare structure could lead to more equitable pricing while possibly increasing the road funding revenue base. It is advised that distance-based road user charges be considered to form part of the current road funding framework in South Africa as a supplementary road cost recovery method. Although there are many issues that should still be addressed, it is an avenue worth considering especially from an equity perspective. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Vervoerinfrastruktuur, veral in die padsektor, word gesien as ’n belangrike pilaar om ekonomiese ontwikkeling en groei vir enige land te vergemaklik. Paaie is egter onderhewig aan groot kapitaaluitgawes vir nuwe konstruksie en opgraderings wat tydige instandhouding verg om vervoerverbindings te verseker wat in ’n bevredigende toestand is om aan die vraag van die padgebruiker te voldoen, toeganklikheid en mobiliteit te verbeter, en om voertuigbedryfskoste te verlaag. Afgesien van die agtergrond van die infrastruktuur se belangrikheid ervaar die padsektor steeds befondsingsstekorte, wat beteken dat die huidige finansiering en befondsing metodes (ook bekend as padkosteverhaling) nie aan die begrotingsvereistes kan voldoen nie. Hierdie proefskrif argumenteer dat afstandgebaseerde padgebruikersheffings, veral deur die gebruik van Globale Posisionering Sisteem geaktiveerde voertuigsporingstoestelle, tesame met ’n korttermyn marginale sosiale kostestruktuur, die navorsing oor padkosteverhaling moontlik kan verbeter vir ’n beter padbefondsingsraamwerk gegewe die kenmerke van die Suid-Afrikaanse padsektor. Hierdie hipotese was getoets deur i) te evalueer hoe die Suid-Afrikaanse padbefondsingsraamwerk tans presteer met betrekking tot die vermoe om befondsing vir die padsektor te bekom, ii) hoe dit in die toekoms sal presteer, iii) die korrekte heffings wat vir padgebruik gehef moet word, iv) die openbare aanvaarbaarheid van metodes vir die verhaling van padkoste en v) die bedryfs- en ekonomiese lewensvatbaarheid van ’n afstandgebaseerde padgebruikersheffingskema implementering in Suid-Afrika. Die bevindinge dui daarop dat die Suid-Afrikaanse padbefondsingsraamwerk tans jaarliks ’n groot hoeveelheid inkomste van padgebruikers verhaal, maar dit is minder as wat in werklike padinfrastruktuur belê word. In vergelyking met geselekteerde ontwikkelde lande in terme van hoeveel inkomste Suid-Afrika as ’n persentasie van die Bruto Binnelande Produk op padinfrastruktuur verhaal en spandeer, is dit beslis nie onder die norm nie. Die brandstofheffing word egter al hoe meer onproduktief, alhoewel dit die grootste deel van die inkomste van padgebruikers verhaal. Daar is bevind dat tegnologiese en samelewingstendense ’n toenemende impak sal he op die toekomstige inkomste wat op die kort- tot mediumtermyn van padgebruikers verhaal word en nie noodwendig ontwrigtend sal wees nie. Berekeninge dui daarop dat die gemiddelde padgebruiker moontlik reeds meer as sy / haar billike deel van die padkoste per kilometer betaal en dat die verkryging van ’n korttermyn marginale sosiale kostestruktuur, van fooie, wat billike en doeltreffende padverbruikerskoste verteenwoordig, soos vereis deur die gebruikersbetaalbeginsel, geensins ’n maklike poging is nie. ‘N openbare meningsopname het aangedui dat padgebruikers in die algemeen nie weet wat die koste is wat hulle betaal vir die gebruik van die padnetwerk nie en dat hulle steeds die brandstofheffing verkies as die hoofmetode vir die verhaling van padkoste in Suid-Afrika, maar dat die afstandgebaseerde padgebruikersheffings vir padgebruikers ’n aanvaarbare aanvullende opsie is. Deur ‘n voertuignasporingstudie is daar bevind dat ’n afstandgebaseerde padgebruikersheffing sisteem in Suid-Afrika operasioneel haalbaar en ekonomies uitvoerbaar is en dat as dit geimplementeer word met ’n korttermyn marginale sosiale kostestruktuur dit tot billiker pryse kan lei, terwyl die padbefondsingsinkomstebasis moontlik vergroot kan word. Dit word aanbeveel dat afstandgebaseerde padgebruikersheffings oorweeg word as deel van die huidige padbefondsingsraamwerk in Suid-Afrika as ’n aanvullende metode vir die verhaling van padkoste. Hoewel daar baie kwessies is wat nog aangespreek moet word, is dit ’n benadering wat die moeite werd is om te oorweeg, veral vanuit n bilikheids perspektief. | af_ZA |
| dc.description.version | Doctorate | |
| dc.format.extent | xix, 246 pages : illustrations, maps, includes annexures | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/130675 | |
| dc.language.iso | en_ZA | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University | |
| dc.rights.holder | Stellenbosch University | |
| dc.subject.lcsh | Transportation -- Finance -- South Africa | en_ZA |
| dc.subject.lcsh | Infrastructure (Economics) -- Finance -- South Africa | en_ZA |
| dc.subject.lcsh | Transportation -- Cost effectiveness -- South Africa | en_ZA |
| dc.subject.lcsh | Public-private sector cooperation -- South Africa | en_ZA |
| dc.subject.name | UCTD | |
| dc.title | Distance-based road user charges as a road cost recovery method : a South African case study | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |
Files
Original bundle
1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
- Name:
- vanrensburg_distance_2024.pdf
- Size:
- 4.24 MB
- Format:
- Adobe Portable Document Format
- Description: