Commuters burdened by further price hikes on Sydney’s toll roads

By CHRISTINE LAI.

Prices have hiked for tolls on Sydney’s major roads, placing an additional financial strain on motorists during the cost-of-living crisis.

The toll increase began on Saturday, July 1, with the M7, M2, M5 South West, NorthConnex, Lane Cove Tunnel, Eastern Distributor and the Cross City Tunnel all affected.

Under the terms of its long-term contract with the NSW Government, Transurban, the owner of the motorways, has implemented toll increases on a quarterly basis. Transurban is Australia’s largest toll road operator – it has stakes in six tolled motorways in Sydney and six tolled motorways in Brisbane.

From July the road tolls will rise by almost 4 per cent. The maximum costs for the M7 will increase by 13 cents to $9.51, the M2 by 12 cents to $9.35, the Cross-City Tunnel by nine cents to $6.71, and the Lane Cove Tunnel by six cents to $3.90.

Drivers using Sydney’s WestConnex can expect to pay up to $9.35 while the Westlink M7 will rise to a cap of $9.38 per drive.

The toll fees for the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Harbour Tunnel have remained unchanged since 2009 and are under complete government ownership, making them the most affordable toll roads in the city.

Tolls on WestConnex M4, M4- M5 Link, M8 and M5 East, will also not face price hikes in July as they are subject to annual increases each January.

Minister for Roads John Graham spoke about the toll increases, describing the latest price rise as arriving at a time when “the cost of living continues to bite hard at families and individuals across NSW”.

“Currently the details dictating how and when these toll increases are applied are tied up in opaque tolling contracts that we want to share with the public”, Minister Graham said.

The Transport Workers’ Union has strongly criticised the recent toll increase on Transurban’s motorways. According to TWU spokesperson Richard Olsen, heavy vehicle drivers could face up to $280.60 per week in toll expenses, through use of the (Hills) M2 alone.

“Increased tolls will directly translate into higher expenses, ultimately impacting the prices of goods, and putting pressure on transport workers to meet unrealistic deadlines. The added financial strain of inflated toll costs will be acutely felt by  already stretched household budgets”, Olsen told AAP.

Plans to introduce toll cap for motorists from January 2024

The NSW Government is set to introduce a $60 a week toll cap for private motorists from January 1, and a reduction in the truck toll multiplier for heavy vehicles on the M5 East and M8 corridors from the start of next year, for 2 years.

In a bid to create a tolling system that is safer and fairer, the NSW Government has initiated an independent tolling review spearheaded by Professor Allan Fels AO and Dr David Cousins AM.

The tolling review seeks to recommend viable solutions that can enhance the overall experience while alleviating the financial burden on commuters. Currently proposed alternatives include moving all motorways to a common pricing structure, a geographic motorway zone system, and time-of-day pricing.

The NSW Government has urged people to contribute to the future tolling strategy by submitting statements to the Tolling Review of attending public hearings via the Have Your Say: Tolling Review.

Public hearings scheduled for July 11 (Sydney CBD), July 12 (Parramatta) and 13 July (Penrith) will hear from members of the public, businesses, and industry stakeholders about the impacts of tolls and ideas for reform.

“We are committed to creating a better system and a fairer deal with less confusion for Sydney’s motorists and I urge members of the public to take part in the Fels review to help shape a fairer system for all”, Minister Graham said.