RFNSW has lodged a submission in the NSW toll system review, calling the current system “unfair and discriminatory” against truck operators
Body Road Freight NSW (RFNSW) has responded to the current trucking toll system problem in NSW, labelling the current toll systems as “unfair and discriminatory”.
As reported by Big Rigs, RFNSW says the toll system has made trucks become cash cows for toll operators.
These comments arose from the NSW toll review, with RFNSW putting forth a submission that detailed the impact the toll network is having on heavy vehicle owners, who are being forced to pay up to three times more to use these roads.
In the submission, RFNSW says Sydney has the most extensive and expensive urban toll road network in the world, with this having negative impacts on freight businesses.
“Heavy vehicle tolls have progressively been increased across most routes, particularly across the Sydney road network, at the rate of up to three times the rate of light vehicles,” the submission says.
“It’s instructive to note that in 2017 a NSW Parliamentary Inquiry recommended that the NSW government identify and publish the evidence to support the decision to charge trucks three times more than light vehicles, but this has not occurred to date.”
The RFNSW is welcoming reforms to the toll road network, including the toll cap, but it’s also calling for more to be done to reduce the financial burden on operators.
RFNSW says its members are currently facing bills of up to tens of thousands of dollars in tolls per month.
“Current tolling fees are unfair for our members, many of whom are small to medium sized family businesses that need incentives for their frequent and costly road toll usage,” the submission says.
“RFNSW believes long-term reforms must be implemented to ensure that costs and benefits of toll roads are better aligned to support struggling freight businesses and deliver improved safety outcomes.”
These suggested improvements include off-peak discounts, distance-based tolls, truck incentives, mass-based tolling and an independent pricing regulator to oversee the system.