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Gay rules out congestion tax for Sydney

NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay rules out congestion tax for Sydney because public transport is not up to scratch

By Brad Gardner | May 31, 2011

NSW will not introduce a congestion tax for motorists in and around Sydney due to the lacklustre standard of the state’s public transport system.

Roads and Ports Minister Duncan Gay has ruled out imposing a tax on motorists entering the CBD similar to a system used in London.

“There cannot be a congestion toll if there is no public transport, and the one thing that NSW has not got is proper public transport,” Gay says.

“It would be so unfair to put a congestion tax on people that have no alternative to using their car because of the mess in which the former government left the state.”

The former federal Treasury Secretary, Ken Henry, advocated the introduction of a congestion charge in his tax review last year.

He wanted a charge introduced that varied based on the time of day, meaning motorists using the road network during peak hour would pay more.

In his review, Henry argued a tax would lead to fewer delays and shorter travel times because motorists would reduce unnecessary trips if they had to pay for the congestion, road-wear and environmental costs.

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