Earlier this month, it was confirmed that the unfair ticketless parking fine system has been scrapped across NSW – meaning no more surprise parking fines appearing in the post. Now, in more good news for Sydney’s drivers, the government has just announced a set of reforms that will transform Sydney’s 13 separate toll roads into a functioning network – with the aim of making the toll system a whole lot fairer.
As it stands, Sydney’s toll system operates in a way that puts a lot of the load on drivers from specific suburbs. Back in September, the most-tolled suburbs in Sydney were revealed, with Sydney’s 6,000 most-tolled motorists eligible to claim around $4,000 per year in toll relief. A recent review into Sydney’s toll roads – the Fels Toll Review – highlighted the flaws in the system, and change is afoot.
Crucially, the reforms will allow the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal to monitor toll prices in Sydney, and facilitate the establishment of an industry toll customer ombudsman. As well as making it easier for motorists to dispute fines and report issues with the system, the reforms will see the NSW Government negotiate with toll road owners to get a better deal for Sydney motorists.
Last week, amendments passed in parliament to allow for the creation of NSW Motorways – a state-owned entity that will oversee a reformed toll road network. The NSW Motorways taskforce will work with the owners of Sydney’s privately-owned roads to overhaul the city’s toll system – managing tollways not subject to private concession arrangements (including Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Western Harbour Tunnel) and addressing the key frustrations that currently surround the system.
One key issue they’ll address is the lack of a clear, external dispute resolution body for resolving tolling complaints – facilitating an ombudsman in an area that’s been famously difficult to navigate for years. NSW Motorways will also regulate revenue and pricing on toll roads, to ensure any major revenue gains that stem from toll reforms go to the NSW public, rather than private operators.
“[This] marks a critical step towards untangling the mess of privatised toll roads that have trapped Sydney motorists in a cost-of-living nightmare," says NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey.
NSW Roads Minister John Graham adds, “These reforms are aimed squarely at assisting motorists and their families, particularly those in Western Sydney who simply can’t avoid shelling out on tolls that only ever go up either quarterly or annually.”
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