This week, the controversial M4 toll kicks in for Western Sydney motorists. Depending on the entry/exit you use and the type of vehicle you’re driving, you could be slugged anywhere between $1.77 and $13.67 per trip. Here is the full list of tolls.
How much does the M4 toll cost?
The New M4 comprises eight lanes stretching 7.5 kilometres between Parramatta and Homebush. From August 15, a new toll will kick in and remain for at least 40 years. Here’s the explanation from Roads and Maritime Services:
From 15 August 2017, motorists on the new M4 (between Church St and Homebush Bay Dr) will pay a distance-based toll. This means you pay for what you use. Tolls range from $1.77 to $4.56 for cars and motorbikes, or $5.30 to $13.67 for heavy vehicles.
According to NSW government figures, the New M4 cuts westbound travel time by approximately 17 minutes. It also allows motorists to bypass 28 sets of traffic lights on Parramatta Road.
Do you use the M4 to get to work? Here’s how much you will need to pay:
Images: WestConnex
The New M4 is part of a $16.8 billion WestConnex transport plan to “ease congestion, create jobs and connect communities”.
In addition to widening the M4, WestConnex will double road capacity along the M5 East corridor, build underground tunnels between St Peters and Kingsgrove, join these underground routes together via the M4–M5 Link tunnel, provide a western bypass of the Sydney central business district (CBD), provide connections to the Western Harbour Tunnel and BeachesLink and provide a connection to Sydney Airport and Port Botany via Sydney Gateway.
Unlike some NSW road tolls – including the M5, Lane Cove Tunnel and M7 – the M4 will not increase in line with inflation. Instead, the escalation rate will be 4 per cent a year or CPI (whichever is higher) until 2040. This is more than double the current inflation rate of 1.9 per cent. In other words, you can expect the sting from the M4 toll to keep getting sharper.
[Via Roads And Maritime Services]
[referenced url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2013/04/sydney-traffic-rated-amongst-worst-in-the-world/” thumb=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2013/04/traffic-410×231.jpg” title=”Sydney Traffic Rated Amongst Worst In The World” excerpt=”GPS manufacturer TomTom has released its global Congestion Index report for 2012 which monitors and compares traffic congestion levels around the world. In an outcome that will surprise nobody who spends time in its CBD, New South Wales’ Sydney has edged into seventh place, beating the likes of Paris, Rome and Tokyo.”]
Comments
One response to “M4 Toll: How Much Do Western Sydney Motorists Need To Pay?”
Let me get this straight:
Mega corporations (eg. Macquarie bank, et al.) build our critical public infrastructure under ‘joint public/private ventures’ so that they can charge us obscene tolls AND also benefit from our taxes via billions in government tax cuts – and the government benefits by being made to look like it’s doing something (it’s not) – the same government that keeps crying poor because it hasn’t got enough revenue to build this infrastructure?
So at the end of the day, we are charged more tax, get funding cuts to critical government services, AND we get to pay ridiculous amounts to use public infrastructure. Meanwhile these corporations enjoy paying record low amounts of tax AND reap crazy amounts of profit. Why? Because the billions of dollars in profit these corporations are already making isn’t enough apparently.
To top it off, this freeway WILL become just as congested as it ever was. Anyone that studies sociology and traffic statistics is already familiar with ‘induced demand’ (look it up, it’s precisely the reason why even 20-lane freeways are routinely congested – because the more capacity you build, the more people will use it). But you will still pay full price regardless.
Remember when your taxes actually used to pay for public infrastructure and not corporate welfare?
It wasn’t enough for people to not be able to afford to live in Sydney, now they are being charged for living outside and travelling toward the city and even Paramatta.
This is garbage. The only way travel times will get better is because the bulk of the users can’t afford to use the road they were already using.
How many of of us took the M4 because the M2 and M7 was too expensive to travel from the coast to Western Syd and back?
What is next? Toll the M1 (old F3) because there are tens of thousands of people coming into Sydney every morning and leaving every day? You know, us people who travel because they can’t afford to live within 100km of Sydney?
I have used the m4 from James Ruse to Parramatta Road for years. I spend about $40 in fuel to and from work. To pay an extra $40 per week in tolls does not make sense. Might as well pay an extra $5 per week in fuel and ride out Parramatta road and the extra traffic. I’m used to driving on the m4 at 20km/hour everyday for the last 10 years. Makes no difference to me driving on Parramatta Road.
The 2 lane m4 bottleneck at James Ruse Drive problem that was left unattended by the Government for years on end making motorists suffer day in, day out and now the government has the gall to toll everyone. Fuel taxes alone should cover work on all the roads and there is no reason for tolls, period.
With the reduction in people now using the m4 because of the toll, you would of solved the problem of congestion without even having to fix the m4 and not spending 16 billion by simply adding the toll. The Irony.
Boycott all tolls and learn to adapt by avoiding them. By using tolls you only support the government picking your pockets.