Last week’s halving of the petrol excise was welcome news in easing financial pressure on motorists. And so far it appears the 22.1 cent saving has been passed on by petrol retailers across the board. However, come April 1 and Sydney’s toll roads copped another quarterly increase and its time the State Government did something to ease toll pressure.

Tolls are currently indexed to rise each quarter by at least 1 per cent.  A typical trip in a car from Windsor Road, Baulkham Hills via the M2 to the Lane Cove Tunnel now costs $8.56, the Lane Cove Tunnel another $3.56, the Harbour Bridge $4.00 in peak hour – the total trip to the City $16.12 cents. The return trip in afternoon peak $12.12 cents – Total daily return trip $28.24, over five days $141.20 – best described as Highway Robbery.

Sydney motorists bled dry by a State Government that already rorts mobile speed cameras in the name of revenue. Toll roads operator Transurban is not held to account either for road maintenance – the Hills M2 Motorway described by Peter Brock at its opening in 2007 as the finest piece of road he’d driven on is now a patchwork quilt of cracked surface with delamination in many places.

Worth $8.56 you’ve got to be kidding.

I’m David Berthon.

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