Instead, he is forced to work as a travelling salesman, racking up 2000km a month on Johannesburg's highways.
He needs the money to pay the medical bills of his wife, Rona, who suffers from Alzheimer's, and his son, Marc, who is partially disabled.
Rona's expenses alone cost him R18000 a month, but when the proposed Gauteng electronic highway tolling system comes into effect at the end of April, he will have to find an extra R6600 a year.
Tabakin is just one of an estimated 800000 Gauteng residents whose pockets will be hit hard by the system.
His story is being used as an example in the court application by the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa) to illustrate the plight of the province's motorists.
Tabakin told the Sunday Times yesterday: "No one needs an extra cost. Another R6600 is well above my budget, and I won't be able to avoid this cost, because I am on the road all the time. I am a sales rep and I do a lot of travelling. "
His other concern is that the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral), which will operate the toll system, will have access to his bank account. "It hits me directly ... I don't even get a salary, [but] get a straight commission."
The alliance this week approached the High Court in Pretoria to try to interdict Sanral from levying and collecting toll fees on the proposed freeways.
It also asked the court to review and set aside the decision to toll the roads and to declare the terms and conditions of the e-tag payment system a violation of the National Consumer Protection Act.
Tolling will cost motorists 30c a kilometre when they pass the 54 gantries across the province.
Outa is a voluntary group made up of the South African Vehicle Renting and Leasing Association (Savrala), the SA Tourist Service Association, the Retail Motor Industry, the Quadriplegics Association of South Africa and the South African National Consumer Union.
Outa's application hinges on the proposal, consultation and approval process undertaken since 2007 between Sanral, then minister of transport Jeff Radebe and the public. Outa argues too little information was presented to make informed decisions.
The tolls are designed to pay back R20-billion that financed phase one of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project, but Outa said while they agree that road maintenance and improvements are important, tolling is an expensive exercise.
Instead, they argue, a possible solution is to introduce an 8c to 11c a litre increase in the fuel levy, which can then be ring-fenced. This could generate R1.8-billion a year, covering the repayment in 15 years without collection costs.
According to their application, it would be almost impossible in practice to enforce the tolls, as the postal system would be flooded and the already-struggling courts being innundated with summonses - around 28000 issued a day.
Paul Pauwen, Savrala general manager, said in his affidavit: "I am advised it would be practically impossible for Sanral to effect the service of 1000 summonses a day, let alone a figure higher than that."
In a statement yesterday, Sanral officials said the agency could not comment on any legal matters that might be under way.
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