A new tax for all car owners, 200 missing trains, and a R550-million upgrade for one of Gauteng’s busiest roads

These were the five biggest stories in South Africa’s transport industry this week.

New tax in the works for all car owners in South Africa

Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy has confirmed that the government is working on a new funding model for the Road Accident Fund (RAF).

The Transport Department plans to introduce a new tax linked to vehicle registrations and licence disc renewals to support the RAF, which is currently funded by a levy on petrol and diesel sales.

The department argues that the new tax is necessary due to the rise of electric vehicles, which do not use fuel and therefore do not contribute to the RAF.

200 trains Transnet expected since 2014 nowhere to be found

Since 2014, South Africa’s largest transport company – Transnet – was meant to receive more than 200 diesel locomotives worth billions from a Chinese supplier that never delivered them.

This came to light in Transport Minister Barbara Creecy’s parliamentary response to MK Party MP Adil Nchabeleng’s questions concerning the dispute between the supplier and Transnet.

Transnet concluded an agreement for 232 trains but has only received 22 to date, prompting the company to launch legal proceedings against the supplier, China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation.

Massive new R1.7-billion megabridge being built in South Africa

The Msikaba Bridge is a new megabridge project commissioned as part of the South African National Roads Agency’s N2 Wild Coast programme.

Spanning the Msikaba gorge and river located near the town of Lusikisiki, the new cable-stayed suspension bridge is intended to significantly cut down on travel times for vehicles travelling between the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

The bridge was originally expected to be completed by 2023; however, the project has encountered several delays and construction is now set to wrap up in 2029.

2 new international flights for South Africa

South Africa has gained two new international flights, one to Brazil, and another to Dubai.

The Chilean multinational carrier LATAM Airlines launched its inaugural direct flight from São Paulo to Cape Town International Airport last week.

At the same time, Emirates has added a third daily flight to Cape Town, improving seating capacity for travellers to and from South Africa.

R550 million upgrade for one of Gauteng’s busiest roads

Construction along the R553 Golden Highway in Gauteng is progressing in line with the approved timelines for the road rehabilitation project.

This is according to the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport, which said it is confident that the anticipated practical completion date of mid-September 2026 will be met.

The R550 million project, awarded to LoneRock in early 2025, entails upgrading the Golden Highway bridge, which connects Johannesburg to Vanderbijlpark, from the R558 intersection and beyond the M68 intersection.