Originally Published in OwnerDriver July Edition
Some days you kick a goal. I can’t help feeling vindicated by the New South Wales Government’s decision to conduct a thorough review of its motorway tolling system.
The expensive and intricate web of toll roads is finally going under the microscope and achieving a fairer outcome for operators is something that that everybody at NatRoad is invested in.
Many of NatRoad’s Members come from NSW.
Tolls are a significant cost for operators passing through Greater Sydney.
On routes like NorthConnex they’re impossible to avoid if you’re driving a truck that’s up to 12.5m long.
That’s because you can’t use Pennant Hills Road between the M1 and M2 unless you have a genuine pick up or delivery destination that’s otherwise inaccessible.
Opt out of the tunnel and you’ll cop a $201 fine for your trouble.
NatRoad has been to NSW Parliamentary inquiries over the years and we’ve railed against the inequity of the state’s tolling system and its near monopoly ownership.
We actually called for the appointment of a “toll czar” to lift the lid on secret deals and Road Minister John Graham has delivered in the shape of inquiry chairman, Alan Fels, a former competition council boss.
Tolls are a cost over which road transport operators have no control, and their burden has been increasing over the last five years.
In 2021, we told a NSW Parliamentary inquiry about a Member whose annual toll bill was about $100,000. That company was paying more in tolls for a round trip between the Western Suburbs and the Northern Beaches that in driver wages.
Trucks attract tolls that are generally three times greater than those imposed on cars, supposedly because heavy vehicles incur more in road upkeep.
That assertion is not backed by good evidence and nor are we seeing tangible improvements in the quality of our toll roads.
Heavy vehicle owners already pay up to 11 times more than a motorist in registration charges.
The lack of transparency in tolling for heavy vehicles is infuriating.
Transurban uses a formula to jack up the cost of tolls for trucks on a regular basis. NatRoad is especially happy to see that will be examined as part of the review.
With the exception of the Harbour Bridge, every Sydney toll road is run by private companies and all but two are operated by Transurban. That sort of market dominance can’t be allowed to spread to other states.
