Tag Archives: harbour bridge

E-tags and cashless motorways

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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.

Motorists say time-of-day tolling has not worked

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A survey of 1,800 motorists in north and north-west Sydney has found that motorists believe the time-of-day tolling system on the Harbour Bridge is a failure.

The NRMA survey found 91 per cent believe the new tax has failed, NRMA Group CEO Tony Stuart said.

“Eleven per cent of motorists are using alternative routes to get to work, while 90-odd per cent are paying more for the privilege of just getting to and from work,” Mr Stuart said.

“All that so a mere 560 cars can travel before peak-hour per day. That’s not a solution to the problem and at best is moving the problem to another congested road.”

The release of the survey results coincided with the launch of RoadTube.com.au, a new site that gives motorists a place to air their frustrations and offer solutions to the state’s growing transport problems.

“RoadTube is part of NRMA’s campaign to Get NSW Moving Again,” Mr Stuart said.

“We are urging motorists to join the NRMA for this all-important campaign to fix the mess – we want to hear your views on issues such as the quality of roads and public transport, fuels, demerits, licensing and road safety.

NRMA President Wendy Machin said Get NSW Moving Again was borne of frustration among our members about the massive backlog of capital works needed across NSW.

“More than three-quarters [of those surveyed] believe they are being forced to pay for the mistakes of successive State Governments,” Ms Machin said.

“The Government is trying to fight congestion by raising taxes, but the solution is to upgrade our roads, improve public transport and build more parking to get people out of their cars and on to buses and trains.”

Has time of day tolling reduced congestion or made you rethink how you travel across the Harbour Bridge?

Will raising the toll to cross Sydney Harbour reduce congestion?

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Just over a fortnight after the Sydney Harbour Bridge went cashless, tolls for vehicles crossing Sydney Harbour by either the Harbour Bridge or the Harbour Tunnel have changed to time-of-day tolling, with the amount charged dependent on the time of day.

The NSW Government has raised the toll to help reduce congestion in the city during peak times and to create enough revenue – $12 million – to supply 300 new buses.

From Tuesday 27 January 2009 the fee for crossing the Harbour from north to south will be $4 during peak periods – between 6.30-9.30am and 4.00-7.30pm Monday to Friday.

It will stay at $3 during the period of 9.30am-4.00pm Monday to Friday. In off-peak periods – midnight-6.30am and 7pm-midnight Monday to Friday, and 8.00am-8.00pm on weekends and public holidays – the toll will decrease to $2.50. Visit the RTA website for more information

The plan sounds good in theory but…

Experts are saying the congestion forecasts won’t change – unsurprising given that turning the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Tunnel cashless is also supposed to ease congestion and make the trip easier and quicker.

It has also been revealed that no extra bus or train services have been put in place to cater for the increase in the number of commuters expected to use public transport to avoid paying the increased toll price.

Will a higher toll encourage you to take public transport during peak times when crossing the Harbour? We’d especially like to hear from those who regularly make the trip.

A cashless Sydney Harbour Bridge

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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?