Sydney drivers spending $8,000 per year on road tolls.

[GASWAGON]

Originally Posted by RegSpec

You guys bang on about how much you pay on tolls ff's???
Try driving a truck!......whatever you spend on an individual toll....for a truck over 2.8mtrs in height.....triple it!
I've only got a Hino tilt tray and right now it's costing me anywhere from 200-400 bucks a week in bloody tolls!.....
Once the M4 tolls come.....I'll be spending almost as much in tolls as I do in diesel fuel....

Geesus that sucks......And it must push up the prices of transport costs to cover it all plus fuel and servicing and maintenance.

[Pis-ton broke]

just sitting here trying to pay the toll, as i went to sydney the other day. some info on the drama of paying this toll, that i have to provide acc. no., tag no. username and pin no. this pee,d me off to put it mildly.

so i ring up roam for info, then ring back to other roam section, quote both numbers and done. then ring the tunnel people and tell them all the numbers and done.

i have learnt that there are 10 toll providers from the roam drop down box, and they aren,t linked that i know of, well m5 and tunnel aren,t , i know that.

why can,t all the tolls be paid to one collection company.? this toll paying system is very inefficient, imo. ive spent 45mins to sort this out , it ridiculous, and very frustrating!, it,s not user friend at all.

about the toll costs, i think its a rort to be able to charge the way they do, the charging method seems very basic, why can,t they work out a better system? maybe a dayliy , weekly or monthly cap. here has to be a better way.

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by RegSpec

You guys bang on about how much you pay on tolls ff's???
Try driving a truck!......whatever you spend on an individual toll....for a truck over 2.8mtrs in height.....triple it!
I've only got a Hino tilt tray and right now it's costing me anywhere from 200-400 bucks a week in bloody tolls!.....
Once the M4 tolls come.....I'll be spending almost as much in tolls as I do in diesel fuel....

Yeah right, you will claim what you can back on your taxes & charge your customers in your business costs, ordinary commuter will still lose more than you.

[GASWAGON]

Originally Posted by Pis-ton broke

just sitting here trying to pay the toll, as i went to sydney the other day. some info on the drama of paying this toll, that i have to provide acc. no., tag no. username and pin no. this pee,d me off to put it mildly.

so i ring up roam for info, then ring back to other roam section, quote both numbers and done. then ring the tunnel people and tell them all the numbers and done.

i have learnt that there are 10 toll providers from the roam drop down box, and they aren,t linked that i know of, well m5 and tunnel aren,t , i know that.

why can,t all the tolls be paid to one collection company.? this toll paying system is very inefficient, imo. ive spent 45mins to sort this out , it ridiculous, and very frustrating!, it,s not user friend at all

about the toll costs, i think its a rort to be able to charge the way they do, the charging method seems very basic, why can,t they work out a better system? maybe a dayliy , weekly or monthly cap. here has to be a better way.

Sydney is such a **** hole!

[RegSpec]

Originally Posted by trublu

Yeah right, you will claim what you can back on your taxes & charge your customers in your business costs, ordinary commuter will still lose more than you.

....mate, we must be on different planets here?...
Private commuters in Western Sydney have a cashback scheme (that truckies aren't eligible for)......we use the toll charges to offset our income and under that system we're lucky to get back 25-30 cents in the dollar.
As for oncharging every toll on every trip?......good luck with that too'....
So, no mate, the so-called "ordinary commuter" is still better off....

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by Pis-ton broke

just sitting here trying to pay the toll, as i went to sydney the other day. some info on the drama of paying this toll, that i have to provide acc. no., tag no. username and pin no. this pee,d me off to put it mildly.

so i ring up roam for info, then ring back to other roam section, quote both numbers and done. then ring the tunnel people and tell them all the numbers and done.

i have learnt that there are 10 toll providers from the roam drop down box, and they aren,t linked that i know of, well m5 and tunnel aren,t , i know that.

why can,t all the tolls be paid to one collection company.? this toll paying system is very inefficient, imo. ive spent 45mins to sort this out , it ridiculous, and very frustrating!, it,s not user friend at all.

about the toll costs, i think its a rort to be able to charge the way they do, the charging method seems very basic, why can,t they work out a better system? maybe a dayliy , weekly or monthly cap. here has to be a better way.

They will have shortly. I was recently testing a phone app that works using the phones gps and charges you as you go.

Great for us country folk that don't use the tolls on a regular basis and forget to pay within the three days allowed.

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by RegSpec

....mate, we must be on different planets here?...
Private commuters in Western Sydney have a cashback scheme (that truckies aren't eligible for)......we use the toll charges to offset our income and under that system we're lucky to get back 25-30 cents in the dollar.
As for oncharging every toll on every trip?......good luck with that too'....
So, no mate, the so-called "ordinary commuter" is still better off....

Oh well you got me on the cash back as I do not reside in NSW but suck it up as you and others in business can put it down to operating costs, your choice to absorb fees or pass it on to customer.

[RegSpec]

Originally Posted by Pis-ton broke

about the toll costs, i think its a rort to be able to charge the way they do, the charging method seems very basic, why can,t they work out a better system? maybe a dayliy , weekly or monthly cap. here has to be a better way.

Isn't that the truth.....

[DRU842]

If they they were serious about getting the best value for the toll system they would introduce time of day tolling; ie higher in the peak, lower in the off peak. Works for public transport.

[theunfairadvant]

Can anyone tell me where does the toll start from please?
Say if i'm in Strathfield going to Penrith how can i avoid the toll plus which road to drive on to avoid it.

Thanks

[Mechan1k]

You'd need to go Parramatta Rd to Granville ... then up to Gt Western Highway.
As the Toll points are still still there at Church Street end ... you may get a small entry charge for that entry.

But to miss it ... you'll need to drive right around it ... and get on a Cumberland Highway. So a bit of a much around.

Going home from work ... I'll have to go around James Ruse Drive passed Northmead ... instead of coming down towards Granville and enter there as there is a Toll gantry there too.

I can see heading in from the West that Cumberland Highway exit is going to be backed up for kays. I'd say I'll be getting off onto Gt Western Highway back near Prospect or Blacktown to make it easier.

[.:4:.]

The Hume highway or Canterbury rd to the Cumberland highway then get on the m4 as its past the tolls.

[GASWAGON]

T.v news this morning was showing about new tolls for M4 in Sydney starting 12pm last night.

Saves 17 minutes but cars cost nearly $5 each way and trucks $14.

They also mentioned Sydney now has THE MOST expensive toll roads system in THE WORLD!!!

[Mechan1k]

The small section from James Ruse Drive to Church street heading west is meant to be charged at just over $2 ... for a distance for about 300 metres.

They should have made it something along the lines of 50c like they do on the M7 onramp that leads into the M2 from Windsor Rd ... it's about the same distance.

If they were smarter ... they'd start off with the Tolls lower ... and suck the motorists into the convenience of using it ... then incrementally increase every 3 months for so like they do on the M2. Punters usually don't notice the rise ... but it adds up.

I was expecting the Cumberland Hwy off-ramp to be banked back to Prospect this morning ... but it wasn't ... so happy with that. There's ways around the Tolls for most.

[jpblue1000]

Originally Posted by Mechan1k

If they were smarter ... they'd start off with the Tolls lower ... and suck the motorists into the convenience of using it ... then incrementally increase every 3 months for so like they do on the M2. Punters usually don't notice the rise ... but it adds up.

You don't think thats already their plan! it will be legislated!

JP

[Mechan1k]

Originally Posted by jpblue1000

You don't think thats already their plan! it will be legislated!

JP

I don't doubt it .... but to start it off higher will just put people off using it.
They needed to ease motorists into it ... and then rip them off blind later while they have been used to using it.

[Boss 302]

Originally Posted by RegSpec

....mate, we must be on different planets here?...
Private commuters in Western Sydney have a cashback scheme (that truckies aren't eligible for)......we use the toll charges to offset our income and under that system we're lucky to get back 25-30 cents in the dollar.
As for oncharging every toll on every trip?......good luck with that too'....
So, no mate, the so-called "ordinary commuter" is still better off....

Cashback is on M5 only.

[Boss 302]

Originally Posted by Mechan1k

You'd need to go Parramatta Rd to Granville ... then up to Gt Western Highway.
As the Toll points are still still there at Church Street end ... you may get a small entry charge for that entry.

But to miss it ... you'll need to drive right around it ... and get on a Cumberland Highway. So a bit of a much around.

Going home from work ... I'll have to go around James Ruse Drive passed Northmead ... instead of coming down towards Granville and enter there as there is a Toll gantry there too.

I can see heading in from the West that Cumberland Highway exit is going to be backed up for kays. I'd say I'll be getting off onto Gt Western Highway back near Prospect or Blacktown to make it easier.

Church st, exit & on ramp for M4 is untolled.
the toll rehash has made my trips to & from work a total PITA.

[RegSpec]

Originally Posted by Boss 302

Cashback is on M5 only.

My bad.....but give it time....they introduced the cashback scheme after so much backlash on the M5.......so I'd reckon it'll happen on the M4 eventually too....;)

[Pis-ton broke]

last week while paying a toll notice the roam toll trolls told me that i owed $100+ from 4 non payments back in 2009 to 2010. however my account was never suspended? (if payment is not received your account is suspended) i was advised my another toll company to not pay the money and to contact the tolling ombudsman, what a pita. can someone offer advise?

[Boss 302]

Originally Posted by RegSpec

My bad.....but give it time....they introduced the cashback scheme after so much backlash on the M5.......so I'd reckon it'll happen on the M4 eventually too....;)

No problem, I hope they do.
I discussed this with some one from work, who uses the M5.
He reckons with the money he gets back, it costs him around, 40 odd cents per trip.

[Mechan1k]

Originally Posted by RegSpec

My bad.....but give it time....they introduced the cashback scheme after so much backlash on the M5.......so I'd reckon it'll happen on the M4 eventually too....;)

When M4 was tolled way back when ... there was no cashback scheme at all .... so highly doubt there will ever be another one. I'd say once the eastern section is finished ... it will rise dramatically again.

[Mechan1k]

Originally Posted by Boss 302

Church st, exit & on ramp for M4 is untolled.
the toll rehash has made my trips to & from work a total PITA.

I was wondering why the Cumberland Highway exit eastbound was still pretty quiet. I hope it stays like that as well.

I'd say Church street is shocking now though.