Local roads pay price for truck tolls

Hundreds of trucks may be forced on to local roads by M7 toll rises.

Traffic on arterial roads may build if the M7 tolls go up by 150%.

Hundreds of truck drivers may be forced on to local roads if the M7 toll rises by 150 per cent to help build the NorthConnex tunnel.

The higher toll for trucks to use the M7 will fund a new motorway linking the M1 to the M2 as reported in the Advocate last week.

An M7 toll sign

President of the Tip Truck Owners section of the Transport Workers Union, Phil Ramondino, said there were hundreds of drivers who would be forced to either overload their trucks or use arterial roads to make up for the extra charges.

“It’s hard enough to make a dollar at the moment,” Mr Ramondino said.

“I really think it’ll push drivers to take illegal loads or run on smaller arterial roads to save money.

“To get a decent rate to work the majority of contractors take tolls on their own back.”

Mr Ramondino said about 70 per cent of their work was done on a per-load rate with the tolls not included. For example, one job at Macquarie Park involves six loads to go on the M2 and M7 each way which is 11 tolls a day.

“There’d be days when you can spend $300 in tolls.

“Two things can happen because the majority of work is on a tonnage rate — they’ll (drivers) increase the tonnage to overload the truck to make up the difference in pay. The second option pushes trucks to small arterial roads.”

TWU NSW state secretary Wayne Forno said the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal was established in 2012 to address the economic pressures on truck drivers.

“The TWU can’t support any new tax on truckies if Tony Abbott axes the RSRT and takes away the ability for drivers to recover the extra costs,” Mr Forno said.

NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay was asked for comment but did not respond before deadline.