Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa recently announced a new “hybrid” model for e-tolls that cuts the price of travel with only part of the funding coming from charges to motorists passing under gantries.

Fees might have been capped at 30c a kilometre and reduced from R450 to R225 for light motor vehicles, but route planning remains important if you want to save on travel costs. Intelligent route planning is an important part of ensuring the success of the small businesses tasked to do this.

How to make successful route planning possible:

• Plan your trip in advance – this can help you avoid poor weather and high accident zones
• Leave earlier, in order to avoid peak hour traffic congestion. Apart from being a stressful time to drive, frequent stopping and starting increases the wear and tear on your vehicle and uses more fuel than normal driving
• If you are a smartphone user, download the Google map app in the App store for free to help you find your way around easily.
• You may also invest in a Tom-Tom or Garmin to help you navigate, especially in areas that you are unfamiliar with.
• Before you start your journey, have a look at Twitter for regular traffic updates
• While listening to your favourite radio station while driving, remember to pay particular attention to the traffic updates that will alert you of delays, accidents and any obstructions on the road.
• Check the load-shedding schedule frequently so that you are aware of which areas are affected and how you can avoid delays on the road.