Sydney drivers need to learn more about claiming for toll relief. Photo: stock
Western Sydney drivers are benefitting the most from toll relief after 12 months of the NSW Government’s $60 weekly toll cap.
Even so, drivers are still failing to make full use of the relief with only $75m paid out of a possible $215m, government says.
Drivers from five suburbs have had claims totalling more than $1m paid out: Blacktown, Baulkham Hills, Auburn, Merrylands and Marsden Park.
The NSW Government say drivers must learn more about how to claim for toll relief, which took effect on January 1, 2024.
Roads Minister John Graham says the cap is “a critical cost-of-living support” for several hundred thousand drivers who must use toll roads to get to work or drop their children off.
“When we designed the toll relief scheme we did so with those suburbs in mind where paying a toll is the price to get around and where in many cases public transport service is nowhere near the level of service enjoyed by other parts of Sydney,” he says.
“We know people are doing it tough and the toll cap is making it just that little bit fairer for drivers that heavily rely on the toll roads.”
Digital Government Minister Jihad Dib says their data shows that Western Sydney drivers are claiming the lion’s share of toll relief.
“Drivers from the Central Coast, Blue Mountains, and Wollongong are also benefitting in great numbers …” he says.
“The claim process is quick and simple to follow on the Service NSW website but if you need that extra support to understand the process, team members at Service NSW Centres across the State are ready to help in person or via 13 77 88.”
In Marsden Park, the government says motorists are eligible to claim $3.1 million but have so far been paid out just over $1 million; in Greystanes, only $660,000 out of a possible $1.97m has been returned, says Transport for NSW data.
Government says just over 276,000 claims were paid out at an average $277 per payout.
Drivers can claim up to $340 a week for each tag or licence plate number after they pass $60 paid on tolls in any one week.
Eligible drivers who spent more than $60 a week on toll trips should visit the Service NSW website, link your toll account to your MyServiceNSW Account and claim.
The claim period for the fourth quarter of 2024 opened on January 9, with 720,000 toll road users eligible to make a claim, and closes on June 30.
