Sydney toll cap to remain, two way tolling for Harbour Bridge, Tunnel

Thousands of motorists will continue to benefit from Sydney's toll cap – but for some, there is a catch.

The NSW government will introduce a permanent $60 toll cap for hundreds of thousands of motorists, ending months of speculation.

Introduced in January 2024, the program has returned $211.4m to commuters, predominantly in Sydney’s car-reliant west, such as Blacktown, Bankstown, and Auburn.

However, to ensure the cap is “sustainable and fairer for the long-term”, the NSW government said it would introduce a two-way toll on Sydney Harbour Bridge and Tunnel in the city’s east when the Western Harbour Tunnel opens in late 2028.

The government claimed the measure would correct “long-standing inequity”, with Western Sydney motorists pay rising tolls in both directions on all motorways, while tolls on the Harbour Bridge and Tunnel were one-way and did not increase for more than a decade.

The NSW government will introduce a permanent $60 toll cap for hundreds of thousands of motorists. Picture: NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard

Transport Minister John Graham said two-way tolling on harbour crossings was “made necessary when the Liberals decided the Western Harbour Tunnel would be tolled in both directions”.

“The difference is we are committing the extra revenue to ongoing toll relief, which is most needed in Western Sydney,” he said.

Currently, most major Sydney toll roads are two-way tolled, including the M2, M4, M5, M7, M8, NorthConnex, Lane Cove Tunnel, and Cross City Tunnel.

Digital Government Minister Jihad Dib said making the cap permanent provided “certainty and fairness” for those who relied on toll roads.

“Extending the cap also comes with the new year, when a new round of toll relief is ready to be claimed to help people when they need it the most,” he said.

Transport Minister John Graham said two-way tolling ‘comes back to fairness’. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short

“This new round of funding is waiting to be returned to you by visiting the Service NSW website and claiming your rebate.”

The NSW government said administration fees on toll notices would also be scrapped from mid-2026 following negotiations with private toll road concessionaires.

In the 2024-25 financial year, 46 million toll notices with administration fees totalling $618m were issued in relation to unpaid tolls on the Sydney toll road network.

Negotiations between concessionaires and the state government are due to be completed in early to mid-2026.

As of December 2025, Blacktown residents made the highest number of toll claims, followed by Baulkham Hills, Auburn, Merrylands, and Marsden Park.

Originally published as Sydney toll cap to remain, two way tolling for Harbour Bridge, Tunnel