Key road exposes brutal Sydney divide

Yahoo

3 days ago

Tolls on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and tunnel will rise for the second time in 16 years to help bridge the brutal divide forcing Western Sydney commuters to fork out up to $39 for round trips to the city.
A weekday peak hour return trip from Liverpool or Campbelltown to the CBD costs commuters about $39.10 in tolls, while those travelling from Blacktown to the city are similarly out $38.03.
Back in 2009, the same trips cost about three times less.
The fees are in stark contrast to those travelling return from Neutral Bay to the city, who pay just $4.41 to cross the iconic bridge — only a $0.41 increase since 2009.
The NSW government have now announced tolls on the Harbour Bridge and tunnel will rise for the second time since 2009 in a bid to give motorists hit hard by the road fees some relief.
The peak hour weekday toll to use the key road in the CBD will rise by about 14 cents from July 1.
Commuters travelling on weekdays between 6.30am and 9.30am, and 4pm to 7pm will be $4.41 out of pocket when the change comes into effect, compared to the current toll of $4.27.
All extra cash collected will be put into the government's $60 toll cap, which allows eligible drivers to pay a maximum of $60 per week on tolls.
NSW Transport Minister John Graham said the move would provide much needed relief to those in Western Sydney, who pay the highest tolls.
'A toll rise on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Tunnel remains a rare occurrence, with this marking only the second time in 16 years since they have gone up,' Mr Graham said.
'In our city's west they have gone up every quarter or every year.
'We are focused on delivering a fairer tolling network and this inflation-linked increase will go into toll relief that has become so important to motorists who pay the highest toll bills in the suburbs of Western Sydney.'
The $60 cap, introduced in January last year, is set to expire at the beginning of 2026.