A two-way toll for Sydney’s Harbour Bridge and tunnel will go towards funding a permanent $60 weekly toll cap, the NSW Government says.
To pay for the cap, two-way tolling will be introduced on the bridge and in the tunnel when the Western Harbour Tunnel opens in late 2028.
The NSW Government also says administration fees on notices will be scrapped from mid-2026; in the 2024-25 financial year, 46 million notices (with administration fees worth $618m) were issued for unpaid tolls.
Transport Minister John Graham says that abolishing the admin fees will save motorists “significant” money.
“Two-way tolling on the harbour crossings was made necessary when the Liberals decided the Western Harbour Tunnel would be tolled in both directions. The difference is we are committing the extra revenue to ongoing toll relief,” he says.
“This all comes back to fairness.”
He says Western Sydney drivers have been steadily paying more to travel in both directions; those using only the harbour bridge or tunnel have only paid in one direction.
Customer Service and Digital Government Minister Jihad Dib says “making the $60 cap permanent provides certainty and fairness”.
“Extending the cap also comes with the New Year when a new round of relief is ready to be claimed by visiting the Service NSW website and claiming your rebate.”
Acting Chief Executive of NSW Motorways, Camilla Drover says they are “working to simplify a complex system” and are locking in permanent relief.
“We are working closely with concessionaires … and secured agreement on reforms.”
MORE TOLL CHANGES
Government says private operators will return the extra revenue that will be created by the cap relief attracting greater traffic on the roads.
Talks are also continuing on some price changes which is expected to last until mid-2026.
As of Monday, registered motorists will also receive a digital reminder when a toll is unpaid, the government says.
CAP DETAILS
No driver will pay more than $60 a week up to the fair-use limit of $400 per tag/licence plate with a $5000 annual limit to prevent cap abuse.
Drivers who spend more than $60 a week on trips should visit the Service NSW website, link your toll account to your MyServiceNSW Account and claim (if they are eligible).
The NSW government says the cap relief will be made permanent after it was first introduced in January 2024.
Since January 2024, $211.4 million was returned to drivers in Blacktown, Baulkham Hills, Auburn, Bankstown, Merrylands, Marsden Park, Castle Hill, Quakers Hill, Kellyville and Lakemba.
More than 680,000 claims were filed under the $60 cap, it says; in Blacktown, over $3.5m was paid out to 9400 drivers with $3.2m for Baulkham Hills drivers.
