Highway Robbery
Money Magazine Australia|May 2017

An unpaid toll can potentially leave motorists hundreds of dollars out of pocket, and even facing imprisonment.

Nicola Field
Highway Robbery

The current wave of infrastructure development taking place across many Australian cities is seeing the number of toll roads expand rapidly. It means improved travel for motorists, though this convenience can come at a remarkably high price. Leave a toll unpaid and you can face a raft of fees and charges far beyond the value of the outstanding toll.

As a guide to the possible financial fallout of unpaid tolls, in early 2016 The Age reported the case of a woman who amassed $50,000 worth of unpaid tolls and associated charges.

It came about through a combination of personal factors including the birth of a new baby, a cancer diagnosis, a change of address and the woman’s partner driving for eight months across Melbourne’s tollways without an e-tag. The situation reached crisis point when a sheriff appeared at her home with a warrant for her arrest.

This may be an extreme example but in one case referred to the Tolling Customer Ombudsman (TCO) a driver received 17 invoices for unpaid tolls over a five-day period – each invoice attracting its own $21.32 administration fee. It meant he owed almost $400, of which tolls comprised just $30.

To understand how drivers can find themselves in this nightmare scenario, it’s worth looking at how the toll system works.

Australia has 16 toll roads in three states – Victoria, Queensland and NSW. The vast majority of these, 13 in all, are owned or part-owned by the publicly listed company Transurban. For the toll giant, user-pay roads are a solid earner. In the 2015-16 financial year alone Transurban’s toll revenue rose 17.5% to $1.9 billion.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May 2017-Ausgabe von Money Magazine Australia.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May 2017-Ausgabe von Money Magazine Australia.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

WEITERE ARTIKEL AUS MONEY MAGAZINE AUSTRALIAAlle anzeigen
An outrageous, beautiful monopoly
Money Magazine Australia

An outrageous, beautiful monopoly

Telstra's mobile business is a cash machine with few competitors, giving it the highest returns in the world.

time-read
4 Minuten  |
July 2024
Drop the anchor to judge value
Money Magazine Australia

Drop the anchor to judge value

Buying and selling decisions should be based on where a stock price is going, not where it has been.

time-read
3 Minuten  |
July 2024
Powering the AI boom
Money Magazine Australia

Powering the AI boom

Beyond the software and chipmakers, where will the energy come from?

time-read
3 Minuten  |
July 2024
Get into life
Money Magazine Australia

Get into life

Tucked inside super are products that can protect you from life's inevitable uncertainties.

time-read
5 Minuten  |
July 2024
Paths to home ownership
Money Magazine Australia

Paths to home ownership

Taking the road less travelled can sometimes deliver unexpected benefits.

time-read
5 Minuten  |
July 2024
Sold! Quick ways to add value
Money Magazine Australia

Sold! Quick ways to add value

Small, strategic changes can have a big impact on the look and feel of your home. And get you a better price on auction day.

time-read
5 Minuten  |
July 2024
Money lessons the kids need to know
Money Magazine Australia

Money lessons the kids need to know

Your children can learn a lot from your past money mishaps. Here are eight financial conversations I have had with mine.

time-read
4 Minuten  |
July 2024
Property-investing rules: are they likely to change?
Money Magazine Australia

Property-investing rules: are they likely to change?

The pressure for the government to curb the tax benefits of tax concessions, such as negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount, is unrelenting. Most recently, independent senators David Pocock and Jacqui Lambie proposed five options for paring back investment property tax concessions, with savings to the Federal budget of up to $60 billion over the next decade.

time-read
3 Minuten  |
July 2024
What's love got to do with it?
Money Magazine Australia

What's love got to do with it?

A rollercoaster of emotions could be driving poor crypto behaviour.

time-read
3 Minuten  |
July 2024
Are we ready to be cash-free?
Money Magazine Australia

Are we ready to be cash-free?

Saying goodbye to our piggy banks too soon could leave small businesses in the dark when problems arise.

time-read
2 Minuten  |
July 2024