High cost of living curbs residents’ holiday plans

The high cost of living and increased fuel prices are impacting residents’ long weekend plans, with many residents opting to stay at home to due to high travelling costs.

Based on recent inflation, with the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group’s (PMBEJD) affordability index reporting a R310 year-on-year increase in the average cost of a household food basket, PMBEJD director Mervyn Abrahams predicted that “people will, in all likelihood, stay home and have a very subdued Easter Weekend”.

“With everything — interest, rates, food, fuel, and more — increasing, it will mean that people are not going to enjoy the holidays to their fullest extent by, for example, going on vacation as they will be concerned about spending too much,” he explained.

Fuel prices increased in both February and March which, the Central Energy Fund (CEF) said, was due to the weak rand against the dollar and a global increase in the price of oil.

Added to that, toll fees increased by 6,25% on March 1.

While the toll at Mariannhill has gone up by one rand (from R14,50 to R15,50), tolls further inland on the N3 (De Hoek, Wilge, Tugela, and Mooi River) will cost you a total of R311 if your route passes through all four.

Pietermaritzburg resident Noor Mohammed said she had planned on going to Johannesburg until she worked out how much it would cost her to get there.

“Then, I thought about going somewhere closer to home, like the South Coast, but that worked out to be a lot too. With Eid coming up, I want to have money to celebrate the end of

Ramadan,” she said.

Another resident, Thando Mjoli, said she and her husband planned to go to the Eastern Cape as they do every year.

“We ended up deciding not to. We would have spent at least R2 000 to fill up the diesel in the car and we would still have had to buy a sheep at home to make sure there was enough meat for the whole family,” Mjoli said.

They opted to stay in Pietermaritzburg and rather send money to their family.

For those who are still venturing out, Automobile Association (AA) spokesperson Layton Beard reminded motorists that roads will be busier than usual.

“Motorists should be courteous to their fellow drivers and always obey the rules of the road.

“They can do this by making sure that they are in the right headspace when they’re driving.

“One should not be on the road if they are angry or stressed,” he said, adding that motorists should also pay attention to the weather and driving conditions. If it is raining heavily, then one should slow down and proceed with caution.

Caro Smit, director and founder of South Africans Against Drunk Driving (SADD) called for motorists to be responsible for both the roadworthiness of their vehicles and their driver behaviour.

“Motorists have the responsibility of sending their cars for servicing regularly.”

She implored motorists to wear safety belts and make sure their passengers wear them too.

“If you are in a moving vehicle then you have to buckle up!”

Smit also advised drinkers to invest in breathalysers to test themselves, adding that “alcohol stays in the body much longer than people think”.