E-tags and cashless motorways

After more than six months of a cashless Harbour crossing, we want to know what you think of toll roads becoming cashless and having to use e-tags.

In January this year, we reported the news that the Sydney Harbour Bridge was going cashless. As of mid-January, an e-tag or similar is needed to use either the Harbour Bridge or the Harbour Tunnel.

They are not the only motorways in Sydney that are cashless. According to the RTA-run website, Sydney Motorways, cash can still be used on the Eastern Distributor, M4, M5 and M2 – less than half of Sydney’s Motorways. With the RTA’s plans to eventually make all motorways cashless, the number of roads you can use cash on will continue to shrink.

It is clear that to drive in Sydney motorists must have an e-tag – or carefully choose their routes if they don’t. This also presents a challenge for visitors to Sydney or people who do not regularly use cashless toll roads.

Is the e-tag a help or a hindrance? Does making roads cashless speed things up and ease congestion?

For anybody who does not have an e-tag but wants to make the journey south across the Harbour Bridge, you will need to arrange a temporary pass within 48 hours of your trip by visiting myE-Toll or by phoning the RTA on 131 865.

A cashless Sydney Harbour Bridge

The Sydney Harbour Bridge has joined the Sydney Harbour Tunnel in being completely cashless, with the last cash tolls in the bridge’s 77 year history being collected on the morning of 11 January 2009. An e-tag or pass is now needed to make the southbound journey.

The RTA claims that “making the Bridge fully cashless will help improve traffic conditions and ease congestion.” 160,000 vehicles make the trip each day with approximately 2000 vehicles able to move through the e-lane each hour, compared to 400 in the cash lane.

For anybody who does not have an e-tag but wants to make the journey south across the bridge, you can contact the RTA on 131 865 prior to your journey to acquire a pass or within 48 hours of your trip to arrange payment.

Should regular users of the Sydney Harbour Bridge be required to use an e-tag or pass, or should there be a cash option?

Have you noticed an improvement in traffic conditions since the cash tolls were removed?