The cost of toll roads on the economy

[Franco Cozzo]

Australian drivers are paying billions on major Transurban-operated roads, and the costs will keep rising

In Victoria, there are serious consequences for people who do not pay when they use toll roads.

Drivers can be fined hundreds of dollars, or in extreme cases, face prison time.

Figures obtained by the Peninsula Community Legal Service under freedom of information laws show Fines Victoria issued 252,118 toll fines worth a total of $46 million in 2022-23.

A lawyer from Inner Melbourne Community Legal, Shifrah Blustein, who regularly deals with clients with big toll fines, says the system is unfair.

It is very rare for her clients to have intentionally avoided paying tolls, she said.

In the 2023-24 financial year, 1,465 people faced the Victorian Magistrates Court over toll fines.

Under Victorian government changes introduced in 2020, drivers can only be issued one toll fine per week.

That has led to a sharp drop in the number of fines, which have more than halved from a peak of 600,000 in 2020.

Melbourne

In Melbourne, motorists who live in the outer suburbs can pay a big chunk of their average salary to get into the city.

Drivers heading into the city from the Mornington Peninsula pay about 18 cents per kilometre for the return trip, using both the CityLink and EastLink toll roads.

It is equally taxing on drivers in Greater Dandenong, who may spend about 12 per cent of the area's average salary on tolls for the same trip.

Sydney:

Sydney is threaded with toll roads. More than 150km of them weave through the city.

In Sydney's south, Wollondilly residents who drive to the city every workday can spend about 17 per cent of their average income on tolls.

Motorists travelling from the Hills District to the city every workday can spend about 11 per cent of their average income on tolls.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-...ners/104488190

I spend a couple thousand bucks a year on tolls for work getting about Melbourne and around $700/month on fuel,

Sort of curious as to the effects on the economy with toll roads taking out a decent chunk of people's disposable income,

Those of you in states with toll roads, what are you guys spending on tolls?

Causes some interesting issues with heavy vehicles, I do a little bit of heavy haulage work and we'll avoid toll roads and go through suburban areas - because the industry doesn't charge customers for tolls.