Most Australians would think Sydney is the most expensive city for getting around. This is mainly because of toll roads. It costs $429 a week for an average Sydney household. But if you consider transport costs as a share of income, Sydney’s 15% is the fourth most expensive city for transport. Brisbane is the least affordable.
The NSW government on 31 August 2018 sold 51% of Westconnex to Transurban, owner of 15 of Australia’s 19 toll roads. Competition regulator ACCC at the last minute, cleared the way for Transurban and its partners’ bid.
The hefty $19.3 billion sale price makes Westconnex the state’s biggest privatisation and infrastructure project. It will entrench the company’s position as the dominant operator of Sydney’s toll roads.
Regular users of Sydney’s toll roads will be familiar with that gentle “ping” as they pass through. Unfortunately, that gentle ping can turn into a hefty whack out of the bank account. Chief recipients of this stream of riches are corporate investors like Transurban. Read More
The NSW senate road tolling inquiry has just released an eye-opening report. It recommends more transparency in tolling agreements and the companies involved with them. Motorists have no idea how much of their tax, or their tolls, is going to private financiers to bear which risks. Nor how much profit these companies expect from public infrastructure. Read More
The NSW inquiry into road tolling began in April 2017 with the intention to remove the secrecy surrounding tolling. Even though road tolls can and do cost motorists thousands of dollars a year, we don’t know much about the road tolling system.
The greenslip.com.au team wonders how many motorists in Sydney know just how much they spend on road tolls.
Some toll roads in Sydney are so congested during peak hours that travelling times are much lower than forecast. Even so, drivers are paying the same tolls on each trip. Is it fair that we pay tolls whether or not we have a fast or predictable journey?