According to the latest data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australia's annual inflation rate jumped to 4% in May from 3.6% in April, which sparked discussions that the Reserve Bank of Australia may raise interest rates further.
The higher the interest rate, the worse the living situation.
Seeing that about half of households are already facing cash flow pressures.
A homeowner with $1 million in mortgage debt would have to pay about $2,620 more per month, with a further 0.25% hike adding another $152 to the monthly cost.
This can greatly shake a family's finances.
Such huge recurring bills are enough to completely collapse a household budget.
And now, Sydney's transport costs are about to rise again.
Of all the cities in Australia, Sydney has the most toll roads and the cost of transportation is very high.
Sydney is expensive, making it the highest city in the world!
Sydneysiders spend more than $6,500 a year on the road!
Tolls for the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Tunnel, up 6.8% from 29 October 2023
This is the first price increase since 2009.
The NSW government says this is to make the road system more equitable.
Tolls to pass the bridge during peak hours on weekdays from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m
From $4.00 to $4.27.
Tolls will rise from $3.00 to $3.20 during off-peak hours and from $2.50 to $2.67 during night hours.
Tolls from Campbelltown to and from Sydney have risen from more than $12 to more than $30.
From 1 January 2024, tolls on some roads will also increase.
M2、M4、M5、M7和M8高速公路的过路费上涨。
NSW has also increased tolls for certain zero- or low-emission vehicles, while the stamp duty exemption for electric vehicles has been discontinued.
In addition, private ferry operators have also set new adult maximum fares based on the increase in the consumer price index.
Ferry fares increased by $1 to $11 each way.
Tolls on Sydney's motorways are rising quarterly or yearly.
WestConnex's tolls are rising at inflation or 4% per annum, and if the status quo remains unchanged, motorists will pay a total of $64 billion over the next 37 years
Eastern Distributor的过路费为轿车9.38澳元，卡车18.76澳元。
And now, Sydney is going to have two-way charging again.
NSW Premier Cmin has insisted that motorway tolls will only be reduced for the majority of drivers using Sydney's toll roads
He will introduce two-way tolls on bridges and tunnels
The 6-kilometre motorway is one of 13 toll roads in Sydney controlled and operated by Transurban.
The M7 is Sydney's largest toll road after WestConnex in terms of traffic, with an average of 196,000 vehicles per day.
悉尼海港大桥和隧道以及Eastern Distributor征收双向过路费
They expect the plan to have to go ahead by 2028 when the $7.8 billion Western Harbour Tunnel between Rozelle and North Sydney opens.
In this way, Sydney's annual family transportation costs exceed 20,000 yuan
Sydney has the highest transport costs in the country, with a family spending an average of $22,000 per year on transport expenses.
A Sydney family with two cars spends $419 a week on transport, including tolls, public transport, fuel, insurance, maintenance, car loans and registration costs.
M2, Sydney's longest toll road, is raising prices at three times the rate of 1.5 per cent inflation.
The NSW government should not allow tariff increases to be higher than inflation, stressing that Sydney's road tolls "create inequality". At present, it costs 168 roads, and the toll can be increased by 4% per year.
In the future, tolls will increase exponentially.
Once implemented, the charge will be doubled directly!
With the introduction of two-way tolls, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Tunnel will increase to $2.5-$4 per trip.
For those commuters who need to travel to and from Sydney's metropolitan area, the average annual toll will cost you an extra $600!
If the NSW Government decides to impose a two-way toll on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Tunnel and the Eastern Distributor, a large number of motorists will be forced to pay an additional toll every day. The move will add hundreds of millions of dollars to the government's revenue each year.
Tens of thousands of motorists every day will have to pay additional tolls. It will hit the pockets of North Shore, North Beach and Eastside residents mainly.
Wages are not rising, but travel expenses are soaring!
According to statistics, highway tolls have increased by about 20% in most parts of Sydney
A large part of your hard-earned money may be spent on travel expenses!
As one of Australia's busiest cities, Sydney has nine toll roads, including 15 toll points.
Drivers have to pay up to $8,000 in tolls per year.
Over the next few years, Sydney will also complete a number of road construction projects.
This also means that as long as you travel by car, you can't escape being charged tolls!
Sydney is too dependent on tolls for economic benefits!
The high road fees not only make the driver's tolls and taxes hit a record high, but also bring a serious blow to the ride!
If it continues to rise, not only will everyone's transportation costs increase, but it is also likely to exacerbate social inequality.
Highway tolls were originally meant to provide a smooth traffic experience for the public, but now they have become a disguised means of making money!
Tolls have skyrocketed, and many people are almost unable to hold on.
One person said on Reddit: "I went to visit my parents and it cost $35. It is outrageous to have to pay 4 tolls each way. ”
Another person commented: "The other day, after I was confused trying to follow the navigation, I accidentally opened to Northconnex and now my Linkt account is almost empty. It's like a $45 trip to Sydney just to visit a friend.
Due to the lack of public sector funding, toll roads have been the government's response to improve infrastructure and reduce traffic flow by investing in the private sector.
However, with tolls rising by 4% a year, the government is now spending millions of dollars to provide toll waivers to drivers.
According to the ABC, Sydneysiders paid a whopping $2 billion in tolls last year
Australia's NSW Minister for Highways John Graham said
Under the current contract, motorists in Sydney will pay a total of more than $123 billion in tolls between now and 2060, with approximately $64 billion for the WestConnex project alone.
Data from Transport NSW shows that the Harbour Bridge sees an average of 63,000 vehicles per day northbound and 42,000 vehicles through the 2.7-kilometre-long Harbour Tunnel. Last year, there were an average of about 60,000 trips per day in the southbound direction of Eastern Distributor.
Currently, only southbound motorists are required to pay tolls when passing through the government-owned and operated Harbour Bridge and Tunnel, and northbound Eastern Distributor motorists are also required to pay tolls.
These highways are often used by residents of the North Shore, Northern Beaches, and Eastern Suburbs.
So, what do you think about the massive toll collection on Sydney's roads?