Toll roads seemed such a painless way for state governments – particularly in NSW – to get credit for delivering better roads without having to pay for them. The rapidly rising bill for that illusion is now coming due in both political and financial terms.

It’s why Transurban, the builder-operator of most of Australia’s highly profitable toll roads, is under pressure from the Minns government to agree to a reform package aimed at reducing the long-term costs to taxpayers and motorists.