Image: Wikimedia Commons
by CHRISTINE LAI
Sydney drivers will have the opportunity to claim rebates on toll expenditures incurred during the first three months of the year, under the NSW Government’s $60 toll cap from next week.
Hundreds of thousands of commuters will be eligible to benefit from the toll cap initiative, with nearly $47 million in toll expenditures expected to be refunded.
Drivers from Western Sydney are slated to receive the highest rebates for the first quarter of 2024.
Then opposition-leader and current Premier Chris Minns voiced concerns over the escalating toll charges last year following NSW Labor’s commitment in the previous year’s election campaign to address the “out of control” tolls.
“The tolls effectively represent a secret tax for hundreds of thousands of people that live west of Parramatta,” he said at the time.
According to Labor, the cap would offer benefits to approximately 51,000 drivers weekly, excluding truck drivers from eligibility.
The $60 weekly cap complements existing government offerings such as the new rebate scheme and M5 cashback.
Multi-Scheme Rebate Eligibility
If commuters meet the criteria, they will have the opportunity to claim rebates for multiple schemes.
Account holders meeting the criteria will obtain an average cash rebate of around $134 per quarter, with the majority directed towards Western Sydney.
Government data indicates a strategic allocation of cost-of-living aid, with Kellyville, Baulkham Hills, Greystanes, Marsden Park, and Moorebank emerging as the top five suburbs for e-tag account holders eligible for toll relief.
According to a report by Service NSW, while certain suburbs have a lower number of eligible claims, the average rebate per account remains high. These areas include Lakemba ($309), Auburn ($266), Bankstown ($235), Rosehill ($232), and Villawood ($227).
Premier Chris Minns emphasised the toll hardship faced by families, especially in Western Sydney, where limited public transport options often force reliance on toll roads.
Minns pointed to the $60 toll cap as a core element of the NSW Government’s efforts to alleviate the financial strain on families during challenging times.
“We promised to deliver this toll cap ahead of the election and I am glad to see it is drivers in Sydney’s west who will benefit from toll relief the most – proof that our policy is reaching those who need it most”, Premier Minns said.
Toll Rebate Criteria
To qualify for the toll relief scheme, drivers must meet the following criteria:
· Be a NSW resident;
· Hold a personal toll account with a NSW toll service provider, taking private trips on a NSW toll road, excluding those on the M5 South-West for customers registered for the M5 South-West Cashback Scheme at the same time, and
· Spend more than $60 a week from their individual tag or licence plate on tolls on eligible, personal trips.
Eligible customers can visit the Service NSW website and link their toll account with Service NSW to make a claim from next Tuesday, April 9.
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