Heavy vehicles contribute significantly to road damage and congestion but do not adequately contribute to road funding through taxes. This increases freight transportation costs and air pollution. Freight forwarders argue that the fuel levy tax model does not account for differences in fuel efficiency between vehicles and that freight is a major economic contributor that is punished under the current system. Buses receive subsidies for using roads while freight does not, despite freight's greater economic impact. The government could help by creating a sustainable freight infrastructure funding system, improving operator training, reducing inefficient freight transport costs, and reducing affiliation fees for regulatory compliance.

1. What Impact has Road Funding
• Freight operational problems/constraints
– Cost of roads – road space road conditions
– Heavy do not adequately contribute to wear or damage on
roads
– Road congestion and increased heavy vehicle accidents
– Inadequate control of operating standards
– Driver draining, driving hours and control of speeds and
loads
– Heavy good vehicle exhaust emission contribute to city air
pollution
• Poor road conditions increases cost freight by approx
1560% (CSIR) including damaged cargo and vehicle

2. What Freight Forwarder say (SMME)
• No comprehensive funding policy
• Funding of roads to beneficial to freight
• Fuel levy tax all road user equally irrespective of
fuel efficiency difference and different Freight is a
major contributor to our economic
• Freight contribute economy significantly while
ordinary road user like car does not
• Fuel levy and user-pay model are punitive to
economic contributor like freight

3. Who are major beneficiaries
• Buses benefit from road funding through
subsides while other transport mode like
freight are not
• Freight damaged to road network is
compensated by its significant economic
contribution

4. How government can assist
• Create sustainable road freight infrastructure
funding system
• Operator competence and development of
skills
• Development of freight management system –
reduce cost of inefficient road freight
transport
• Affilliation to regulatory bodies be minimised
to ensure compliance