Trucking magnate Lindsay Fox at war over CityLink toll increases
TRUCKING magnate Lindsay Fox will go to war with road operator Transurban over CityLink fee increases he has slammed as “extortion”.
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TRUCKING magnate Lindsay Fox will go to war with road operator Transurban over CityLink fee increases he has slammed as “extortion”.
As truck drivers across the state were left reeling by the announcement of truck bans in Melbourne’s west yesterday, Mr Fox told the Herald Sun he was planning legal action against the road operator.
From Saturday, Transurban increased tolls on heavy vehicles in a move that lifted some CityLink fees from about $12 to more than $26.
The charge is to help recover costs for its share of the CityLink-Tulla widening project, which will not be completed until next year.
Mr Fox said he was exploring his legal options and flagged “a lot of court challenges” over the new fees.
“Let the judge decide. It’s very much like extortion. You’re paying for something you’re not getting,” he said.
“I think it’s a disgrace. If the government allows it to happen, it will completely throw the whole system out of control. Where in the world do you pay the fee for going on a freeway system that won’t be built for another 12 months?”
UPDATE: BUS OPERATORS ADD TO CITYLINK TOLL ANGER
Mr Fox, whose company Linfox is one of the biggest payers of tolls in the country, said truck drivers had resorted to using suburban streets as a viable way to move around Melbourne.
The Victorian government yesterday announced a new multibillion-dollar tunnel to improve traffic flow in Melbourne’s west.
The 4km West Gate Tunnel, to be opened in 2022, will be a toll road designed to free up thoroughfares in Footscray and Yarraville which will be banned to trucks.
The ban is based on concerns truck drivers would continue weaving through the inner-western suburbs’ streets to avoid the planned tolls.
Mr Fox said drivers relied on those suburban streets.
“The freeways are inadequate,” he said. “They’re taking for granted that people in the trucking business are stupid.
“The roads were designed for traffic. Streets are no different to the veins that run in your body. When the blood stops, you die.”
Victorian Transport Association chief executive Peter Anderson said the bans and new toll would put more pressure on an industry “already under financial attack”.
“While we absolutely understand the need to strike a balance between amenity for residents and economic fairness for operators, a permanent ban is not the right way to go about it and sends a message to operators that their contribution to society isn’t valued or appreciated,” he said.
Mr Anderson said suggested alternative methods of reducing truck movements, such as travel restrictions, had been ignored by the government.
The government says the tunnel will take five years to build and will feature two three-lane tunnels, noise walls and new space for cycling and walking.
Builders John Holland and CPB Contractors have won the tender for the project.
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