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| A Congestion Tax That Doesn't Reduce Congestion |
| Thursday, 04 February 2010 | ||||||
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The Harbour Bridge congestion tax has done nothing to reduce congestion according to the RTA’s own statistics and is simply a slug on Northern Beaches motorists, Manly MP Mike Baird said today. “These latest statistics from the RTA prove what we all suspected – the Government’s ‘time of day tolling’ for Harbour Bridge motorists is a sham,” Mr Baird said. “The NSW Government introduced this new tax in the Mini Budget claiming it was the key to ‘unclog the city’, but now we know it’s nothing more than highway robbery. “The RTA’s own figures reveal no noticeable decline in motorists crossing the bridge on weekday mornings since the tax was introduced.” According to the RTA’s website, the number of motorists crossing the Harbour Bridge between 5:30am to 10:30am was 44,700 in 2008 (before the congestion tax was introduced) and 44,618 in 2009 (when the congestion tax was in place). “The increased toll has done nothing to reduce congestion and Northern Beaches motorists are right to be white with rage that they are paying for another botched plan. “The NSW Government simply hiked up tolls and dressed up the rationale for a new tax by saying it would unclog the roads – well, like their multiple transport plans, this just hasn’t happened. “Many Northern Beaches motorists have no option but to drive because of woeful access to public transport and until the NSW Government admits public transport is the key, Sydney’s chronic traffic congestion will remain. “The Transport Minister has said the many extra millions raised from the increased toll would go towards buses, so where are they? “With this in mind we renew our calls for the Government to investigate a Bus Rapid Transit system for the Northern Beaches as a matter of priority, with research showing it would likely convert 15-20% of car users to public transport.” MEDIA: Lisa Harrington - 0406 726 880
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The danger in the promise of "new buses" was that it was simply to replace old buses with new. Had it been "new bus *services*", we might have had a hope. However, hopelessness is close to what I feel about public transport in Sydney (fast ferries might have been a success but I am gobsmacked about the tender result). Congestion Tax Is it possible to be robbed by our own government? - only if you live in NSW! Mr Mike, This should be taken further. The cost of building the bridge was recouped years ago and the RTA (why is it always them??? They should be fired en-masse!!) is not even using the toll revenue or even the extra toll revenue, from the time of day slug, to keep the bridge adequately painted! The toll should be deleted or, at the very least, reduced to an amount that would pay for the maintenance of the bridge ONLY, if, that is, there should be a toll at all. To charge those north of the city to get into their city is iniquitous! No other residents are charged to get into their city! If there is to be a toll, it should be charged BOTH WAYS so those wishing to come north of the bridge also have to pay for the maintenance. In such a scenario, the toll charge should be required for a return trip so that those using the toll for a to and from journey only pay the equivalent of one crossing, whether their initial crossing is from the north or the south. One way users of the bridge would pay the full (return) crossing toll. Thanks for taking the time to read this. Kind regards, Tony. Congestion Tax Mike's hit the nail on the head. But the lack of any real planning - long term by this labor government is the core problem. It just seems to me that this current government is only interested in today's issues and not for our future generations. In another 10 years the Spit, Mosman, Neutral Bay corridor will simple become a moving carpark. And if the people of NSW vote the current govt back into power, the moving carpark will cost us even more. I am worried about an apparent complacency in NSW voters. We must not allow the same old, same old to be renewed. It's really up to us the People to shout and vent our dissatisfaction and anger with the current pathetic NSW government and vote accordingly this time around. Congestion Tax Just another classic example of the NSW government punishing the NSW taxpayer (particularly those in the North) for their chronic financial mismanagement of State finances. Beachside aparthy Thanks Mike for bringing your energy to getting something done about this. Having lived in the area for 28 years, we still the SAME road, SAME lanes, SAME lack of transport between here and the Harbour Bridge. When the toll went up to $3 I fully expected to see commuters stopped and sitting on their horn in protest - but no we just kept on keeping on, accepting what we got - and paying more for it! THANKS Mike for dispelling this beachside apathy and speaking on behalf of our tax and toll dollars on this and other important issues. Congestion Tax There are few better examples of incompetence than the NSW Government. But you do yourself no favours by reporting their outcomes inaccurately or unfairly. And it is not necessary. . It's not a congestion tax. It's a time of day toll. You report the volume of traffic between 5.30am and 10.30am and draw a ccnclusion about whether the toll has reduced congestion. This is a nonsense. The toll is reduced at 5.30am not increased. You should report the change in the volume of traffic only in the hours in which the toll has been increased - ie from 6.30am to 9.30am. The job of the increased toll was to spread some of this traffic to before 6.30am and after 9.30am. Has it done this? I would love to know. Your information does not tell us this, and makes you seem either a bit dim to have not understood it, or to be using statisitcs to cloud the issue. If you can advise the volume of traffic crossing the Harbour Bridge between 6:30am and 9:30am in 2008 (before the time of day toll was introduced), and in 2009 (after it was introduced), I for one would love to know. statistics for Gwyneth Hi Gwyneth - thank you for your interest and your comments. If you click on the link to the RTA statistics within the release, you can see that between 6:30-9:30 there is also no noticeable reduction in traffic... before the toll (2008) there were 21,684 cars crossing the Bridge and after the toll (2009) it was 21,347. On the tunnel, between 6:30-9:30am in 2008 it was 10,241 cars, falling by only 67 cars after the toll was in place. Hope this helps. Lisa from Mike's office Congestion For many there is little incentive or choice for public transport over commuting. It has changed some motorist behaviour though - you do occassionally see a car or two slowing / stopping to wait for 9:30am and the toll to tick. Not safe but can appreciate denying state coffers another $1 After commuting through school holidays where congestion is less of an issue the toll is still there. It should adjust as traffic restrictions and speed cameras do in school holidays. It is simply another rort slugging non-Labor electorates. Morning congestion is bad but also have a look at the gridlock on Burnt Bridge Creek every afternoon. 3 lanes from there, 3 from Sydney Road east and 2 from Sydney Road west entail eight merge into one within 200m. Genius. It is little better on weekends either. It was a reason why we could not locate our business north of the Spit Bridge. Perhaps your Federal colleague Tony Abbott may revisit his initial 1994 campaign promise to fix the Spit Bridge traffic congestion as well? congestion tax Perhaps the tax is not high enough to scare people out of their cars. The higher tax would encourage more people to demand better public transport and revenue more helpful to providing it Congestion Tax Taxes and Fees are one thing NSW Labor is good at. The Congestion Tax will do as much to reduce congestion in the CBD as the CBD Metro Project. When are the people of Sydney and NSW going to get a fair go ? Are we to be denied the use of the Harbor Bridge ? The NSW taxpayer has fully paid off the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Then NSW Labor slugs them. Now it wants to slug the people of Sydney and NSW with it's $5,000,000,000 CBD Metro project. Divided amongst NSW's 7 million people that's $758 each. Man, Woman and Child. And we all continue to suffer. The people in South West and North West sydney suffer, while NSW Labor uses public money to fight it's next election campaign. I remain horrified. David Hunt Rozelle, NSW Congestion Tax So it is working a little then. The volume of traffic crossing the harbour bridge from 5.30am to 10.30 am is virtually unchanged but there is: - a 3% increase in traffic at the cheaper toll (from 5.30am - 6.30am or 9.30 - 10.30) - a 1% decrease in at the more expensive (from 6.30am and 9.30am) Not a big change, but a change. Change always takes time. Congestion tax Hang on a minute Mike. Lets cut back a bit on the hypocrisy. When the Libs were in government you did nothing for the northern beaches and when you get in again you will still do nothing. Until the northern beaches becomes swinging voters nothing will change. Labour do nothing but fleece the northern beaches because they know we only vote Liberal. And the Liberal party don't have to do anything because there are no extra seats to be won over here. Chris's comments Hi Chris, thank you for your feedback and passion for the Northern Beaches, which Mike shares! There is a misconception that Manly is a safe Liberal seat, however it isn't. Out of 43,000 voters, Mike only won by 870 votes after the seat being independent for many years. cheers Lisa from Mike's office Bridge Toll - and tolls in general for t of course, these results could have been predicted by a 5 yr old. I sent a letter to Mike complaining about this very issue some time ago, amongst other rorts that include the Warringah Freeway onramp. NOBODY drives over the bridge unless they absolutely HAVE TO for obvious reasons. i.e. the trip is unavoidable for whatever reason. And the route around the bridge over to Burns Bay Rd is far too laborious to be a viable alternative. So ANY Toll does nothing but give the government an excuse for yet another a "stealth" tax, to prop up their woeful fiscal management and inability to improve the state of NSW. Oh and whilst on this topic, and why should the public have to give free access to their bank accounts to the government or a private company in league with the government, for the "pleasure" of driving on a road? There should be a cash option at ALL toll points. The Australian dollar is legal tender - we should be able to use it for this reason too. |
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