Sydney tolls found to be ‘too high, too unfair’ in new report
Sydney’s toll pricing system could be torn up as a part of a re-design. An independent review says the government should take back control of pricing to make tolls simpler and fairer. Many trips would be cheaper, but drivers crossing the harbour could be stung in both directions.
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00:00Sydney's got fast motorways, slow motorways, pricey ones, and cheaper ones, but soon they
00:09could all be following the same pricing structure, known as the declining distance method.
00:16The further you go, the lower the per kilometre chance.
00:19The further you go, you pay more, but at a diminishing rate.
00:24The final report of the Independent Toll Review recommends that a new body called Motorways
00:28NSW be established to take control of pricing.
00:32It also calls for tolls to be imposed in both directions on the Harbour Bridge, Harbour
00:36Tunnel and Eastern Distributor.
00:38We also propose lower tolls for the majority of motorists.
00:44It's hoped that could lure back drivers who might be reluctant to use motorways.
00:49It's privately owned, isn't it?
00:51Everything's just so expensive.
00:53I don't take tolls.
00:55I take all the back roads, so something needs to change.
01:00Under the most generous model, a trip from Campbeltown to the CBD would result in a $13
01:05saving.
01:06From Parramatta to the city it would cost $4.90 less, and from Hornsby to Macquarie
01:11Park the saving would be $12.40.
01:14But a trip from North Sydney to the domestic airport terminal would cost more than $6 extra,
01:19and the currently free trip from the CBD to Paddington could cost $4.30.
01:24While the government's yet to respond to the recommendations, it says there is a strong
01:28case for two-way tolling for the Harbour and Eastern Distributor.
01:31The theory being that that extra revenue can be used to bring down prices on other parts
01:36of the network.
01:37If we're going to fix this system, everyone's going to have to help.
01:41They will pay more for tolls on the Harbour Bridge and that we will have more bureaucracy,
01:46but not much else.
01:47Toll giant Transurban says it's willing to negotiate on a new pricing structure and the
01:52government hasn't ruled out paying compensation, but it's also drafting legislation to take
01:57control of prices with or without Transurban's approval.