Toll road operators slug Victorian motorists with excessive infringement fees

VICTORIAN motorists have been slugged millions of dollars in late fees and infringement notices by toll road operators prompting calls for an overhaul of the “unfair” toll enforcement system.

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VICTORIAN motorists have been slugged millions of dollars in late fees and infringement notices by toll road operators in the last year, prompting calls for an overhaul of the “unfair” toll enforcement system.

Figures released for the first time reveal 1.2 million unpaid tolls were referred to Victoria Police in the last financial year, with more than $686 million in unpaid infringement notices making ending up in the courts.

Motorists travelling on EastLink and CityLink without a valid E-tag face exorbitant late fees if they miss the three day period in which they have to pay their overdue toll.

While the initial fee for travelling without a travel pass is around $12, motorists complain this can quickly escalate to hundreds of dollars.

Each day travelled on a toll road will incur a separate letter requesting payment and every notice attracts its own administration fee.

Motorists travelling on toll roads without a valid pass face exorbitant administration fees. Picture: File

Tom McIntosh from the Financial and Consumer Rights Council said this practice is “outrageous.”

“Phone providers don’t send a different bill for every phone call. Banks don’t issue an invoice for every swipe of a credit card, why do we tolerate our road operators doing this,” he said.

“CityLink and EastLink show no compassion to Victorian circumstance, they don’t care how or why a situation came about, they just want their money,” he said.

Moonee Ponds woman Robyn Siekai has been locked in an exhausting battle over unpaid CityLink tolls since late 2014.

The dispute has resulted in a mountain of paperwork and enormous stress.

Ms Siekai said nine trips on the tollway, costing about $40, had ballooned to a debt of more than $2900 in outstanding infringements.

Ms Siekai believed she could use her Queensland go via tag when she moved to Melbourne.

She claims she alerted CityLink when the device stopped beeping properly several months later, and asked to set up a separate CityLink account and transfer the tolls.

“Despite this, letters demanding much greater amounts started coming a few months later,” she said.

“It’s been the most time consuming, ridiculous and incredibly frustrating process.

“I just avoid toll roads now, I can’t stand them. I drive the long way around.”

A spokesperson for CityLink said late toll invoice charges cover the costs of contacting motorists who had travelled on CityLink without paying.

“We have a range of initiatives in place to help encourage people to open an account or pay their tolls, including first-time forgiveness and hardship programs,” the spokesperson said.

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