Comments on: M4 Motorway now a toll free ride

By: John M

John M — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 20:07:14 +0000

Why not have kept the toll longer to fund a dedicated cycle path between Parramatta and Penrith alongside the M4, the RTA does not consider the needs and safety of cyclist as part of its mandate.

By: Chelsea Handler

Chelsea Handler — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 16:25:19 +0000

howdy, excellant blog.

By: Michael

Michael — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 09:47:45 +0000

The M4 is a joke. In some areas it goes from 4 lanes to 3 then to 2 lanes and people cant change lanes properly causing alot of traffic jams. make extra lanes on the M4 so its 4-5 lanes the whole way

By: Con

Con — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 05:15:55 +0000

” M4 Motorway Now A Toll Free Car Park “

By: Gillian

Gillian — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 05:49:30 +0000

“Free roads”. What a load of garbage. Roads have never been free and never should be. The M4 will continue to cost money to maintain and upgrade as more people flock to use the “free” road. All main roads should be charged at a per km rate based on time of day. It is being trialed in The Netherlands and traffic volumes have dropped dramatically. The result is that they will save a lot of money in not having to build more roads to cope with peak volumes. Roads should be no more free than, say, electricity. Imagine if you were not charged for the electricity you actually used? You would never turn off the lights and we would have to build twice as many power stations. The same goes for roads. Yet the NRMA still bangs on about free roads, more roads, cheaper petrol. All of this ultimately costs the community MORE, not LESS. This is not the society we should leave to our children.

By: Wayne from Tamworth

Wayne from Tamworth — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 08:45:46 +0000

Keep all tolls on Sydney roads- then us country people may be able to get some improvements to our roads. We are going to be slugged $50 on our regos to pay for “your” roads. If you don’t like city traffic, then move to the more civilised parts of this once great nation!

By: ian

ian — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 04:44:37 +0000

Of course they had to remove the tolls.
How can you justify a ‘free ride’ to the South and North of Sydney – but NOT to the west?

Don’t forget that because it is ‘free’ now, the “cashback scheme” has also ended for the M4 (or should that be the F4 now?), so more money for the government.

Finally, don’t be too concerned. Remember we still have the ‘misssing link’ between Concord and Haberfield (City West Link). What do you think will happen with that?. Obviously, a private toll road with a toll of a LOT LOT more than $2.20!!!!!!!!

By: John

John — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 04:19:56 +0000

I can remember toll gates on the F3 for some years after it was built. There were no complaints from North Shore and Central Coast drivers when the toll was lifted.

By: Uday Shastri

Uday Shastri — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 06:09:16 +0000

Issue of keeping toll should never be based on the idea of limiting the usage. If this was the case, make the toll as 1000$ per use and you will have a nice drive on the road! Point is that aim of city development should be to make roads better for all users specially when already so much money is paid by the motorist.

If the tollway is paid for and that is how it was funded (although in case of M4 I remember the toll point was unfairly placed on older section of road), toll should go.

Put more money in the roads and stop this all focus on driver education for reducing the road toll. I believe roads should be built, more forgiving. For starter move those poles away from the curb (put them on the other side of the footpath ) and you will save half the fatal accidents. Most of the time the poles are inches away and even a slight laps of concentration can cause a fatality.

The second one is the width of the lane, Have a look at a bus or truck on Parramatta road. The mirrors stick out on to the other lane. Not seen any other city with major roads with such small lanes.

In just economic terms I believe that money spent on fixing these can easily be recovered by saving in hospital and rehabilitation costs. Not to talk about saving lives.

I hope someone is listening.

Thanks