M8 tunnel: Liveropool Liberal councillors break with state government to ask for toll relief
As commuters battle economic troubles thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, Liberal councillors have banded together to campaign for a free use period in the M8 tunnel.
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A group of Liberal councillors has broken ranks with the Coalition state government, calling for a toll-free period on the new M8 tunnel and hip-pocket relief for locals now being slugged to use the previously free M5 East.
Drivers have been forced to pay from day one since the M8 opened last month, when the Premier Gladys Berejiklian accidentally said Sydney motorists were facing “toll mania” with the opening of new tunnels.
Liberal Liverpool City councillor Tony Hadchiti backed a motion last week calling for a toll-free period on the $4.3 billion tunnel to “relieve some financial stress” on people amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
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When announcing the opening of the 9km tunnel, Ms Berejiklian justified slugging users from day one by emphasising how much time motorists would save on their commute.
When the M8 opened, a new toll was also imposed on the M5-East, a road motorists had previously used for free.
The Liverpool City Council motion, which passed unanimously with support from four Liberal councillors last Wednesday, also called for the state Government to remove that toll or explore other options for hip-pocket relief for locals who use it.
“(The state Government’s) business is theirs, we’re elected locally to represent our community and we’ll continue to do so,” Mr Hadchiti said.
It comes as Labor’s roads spokesman yesterday gave notice of a private members bill to mandate toll-free periods on all new toll roads, ahead of Northconnex opening to the public.