Outrageous Citylink Classes

**Falcon Coupe** · 28-01-2007, 10:39 AM

I went to Calder from the eastern suburbs friday night, i had a choice cars to take, my 2.5 diesel Navara or the wifes BA wagon, i took the Nissan due it costing very little in fuel, yesterday i went to the citylink website to buy a pass and i find new vehicle classifications :

The classifications for vehicles on CityLink are:

Car: Includes cars towing a trailer or caravan

LCV: Any cab chassis 1.5 - 4.5 tonne GVM, 2 axles

HCV: Includes rigid trucks with three or more axles or over 4.5 tonnes GVM; buses with 13 or more seats including driver; articulated trucks.

So my Navara cost $17.50 as any duelcab ute does now ( Hilux, Courier, Triton, Rodeo) so much for the saving on fuel costs.
Had i taken the BA it would have been $10.90. If i was driving a 3 ton V8 Landcruiser towing a caravan it would be $10.90.
So after profit margins so far surpassing what they had ever imagined, they celebrate by raping the consumer again.
As far as i'm concerned they go and get %#&*%$
I emailed them outlining my disgust.

:

pertuan · 28-01-2007, 10:43 AM

Thats one reason why I try to avoid tollways. I spend an extra 10 minutes on the road but its worth the cost saving.

Jeeepers · 28-01-2007, 10:46 AM

And bikes go free, only because they couldn't get a happy snap of them (no front plate). Otherwise 2 wheelers would be raped too. I agree with you, the system needs revising, as do the charges. Anything other than walking attracts every tax and charge known to man, and they never stop thinking up new ones.

rodderz · 28-01-2007, 11:07 AM

I'm lucky I live in a place where I dont have to use Citylink to get huge time savings, being sort of central to all places arounbd Melbourne (everything is a halfa away) you either use the ring rd, eastern or south eastern and still get there in good time

crusher · 28-01-2007, 01:11 PM

Citylink? Paying to drive on a road? what the crap? alot of question marks?

Can someone give us non eastern states people a clue to what this is? I dont understand how they can charge you to use a road. Is there a boom gate you have to pay at or something? If so wouldnt that hell back up traffic?

As one famous fanta pants said "Please explain?"

rodderz · 28-01-2007, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crusher

Citylink? Paying to drive on a road? what the crap? alot of question marks?

Can someone give us non eastern states people a clue to what this is? I dont understand how they can charge you to use a road. Is there a boom gate you have to pay at or something? If so wouldnt that hell back up traffic?

As one famous fanta pants said "Please explain?"

http://www.citylink.com.au/

Basically a new road and tunnel network that has an overhead structure which records cars that use the road. You can buy an e-tag which you put inside your car near the windscreen and it beeps when you go under the tollway start. You get charged everytime you use the road, other wise occasional visitors can buy a daypass by registering their numberplate so they dont get stung by a fine. Basically one section goes from the Tulla Freeway (near aiport) to the west of the city, the other goes through tunnells under the Domain and Yarra River and onto the South Eastern freeway

I've only had to use it once for work, and the old boss paid for it

Powdered Toast Man · 28-01-2007, 01:24 PM

Nah theres little electronic scanners that scan the etag (little box that you mount to your windscreen behind the mirror) and automatically deduct the toll from a special savings account that you have to set up to use the toll road. Or if you dont have an etag cameras take photos of your number plate and if you havent pre organised payment (daypass) then they bill you (the cars registered owner).

Rodderz mate you just beat me too it

:

Green X · 28-01-2007, 01:47 PM

Well I can add that to the list of reasons of why not to move to Victoria.

BPXR6T · 28-01-2007, 02:24 PM

What's the story with citylink. I was down there over a month ago and ran through it twice without paying in a vic rego'd car. No fine yet.

**Falcon Coupe** · 28-01-2007, 02:26 PM

Citylink has been open for 5 years or so ?
I do not mind paying to use it, what i do mind is the new classifications that make me pay nearly double that of a car, i will contact the ACCC and lodge a complaint.

I FluXx I · 28-01-2007, 02:46 PM

My brother has told me about this. He said that he went through a toll both and paid to get through, then about 5mins later there was this E something. Being from WA where we dont have toolboths he thought it was a disgrace that he had to pay to use a road 5 mins ago, and was not going to pay again. I think he said in total he drove through 3 times. Each time the camera flashed. That was over a year ago now and he has no fine. Mabey because he had WA plates?

crusher · 28-01-2007, 11:57 PM

pay to use a road? get stuffed with a capitol F. I already pay taxes (unfortunately) which go towards making the roads better so why should I have to pay again? Now im even happier that I dont live over east. Not that its bad or anything its just...if there was a law, it would be against it (Hooray for sneakily snuck in simpsons quotes).

Does it actually save alot of time? Im thinking that if it is that popular wouldnt you be better off on normal roads where you dont have to pay extra as there wouldnt be as many cars?

Really Strange to me. If Perth ever gets this im staying out of perth even more than I do now!

MITCHAY · 29-01-2007, 12:04 AM

So if you use the road to and from work every day and being charged at $10.90 per pop that's $109 just on tolls. That would be nearly 3 weeks petrol money for me.

How the **** do they justify that? Or am I getting it all wrong here?

XR Martin · 29-01-2007, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crusher

pay to use a road? get stuffed with a capitol F. I already pay taxes (unfortunately) which go towards making the roads better so why should I have to pay again? Now im even happier that I dont live over east. Not that its bad or anything its just...if there was a law, it would be against it (Hooray for sneakily snuck in simpsons quotes).

Does it actually save alot of time? Im thinking that if it is that popular wouldnt you be better off on normal roads where you dont have to pay extra as there wouldnt be as many cars?

Really Strange to me. If Perth ever gets this im staying out of perth even more than I do now!

Government sells the roads to private enterprise, they upgrade and divert the road better than the Government could ever do. Tolls are added so the costs (and eventually profits) can be acquired.
In the case of the Sydney Harbour bridge, the Government had to borrow money to pay for it (because there wasnt private road companies in the 30s) and only recently was the bridge completely paid for. (subsequent tolls pay for maintenance)

Yes Toll roads are much better, and as for whether they are worth it, that depends on how much you value your time.
In older cities toll roads are much more prelavent due to lack of prior planning of traffic routes. Cities like Canberra will never need Toll roads.

Psycho Chicken · 29-01-2007, 12:12 AM

So a dual cab lux costs twice as much as Toyota Smurf? How the bloody hell does that work.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Falcon Coupe

Citylink has been open for 5 years or so ?

It'd have to be 10, or very close to it.

XR Martin · 29-01-2007, 12:19 AM

Also, IMO the less the Government owns the better, if youve ever worked for them you'll see how much time and money is wasted. Private enterprise will always be more efficient as they have shareholders to answer to.

SpoolMan · 29-01-2007, 01:14 AM

My wife uses it everyday, from Tullamarine free way all the way through to Sth-Eastern free way, each trip is capped at $4.90 one way... hate to think off the cost if this wasn't capped.
She says its great how have to pay for these roads and get the privlidge to set in slow moving traffic during peak periods.
We pay tolls and these roads already can no where near cope with traffic hate to see what its going to be like in another 5 to 10 years time.
Outer S.E suburbs is growing very quickly.

The deal on the costing of a 4wd using a tollway is wrong.

all4ford · 29-01-2007, 08:02 AM

No disrespect but I think its funny some people haven't heard of toll roads, because they're so common and been around for years on the east coast over here, certainly wish I'd never heard of them. lol

Probably the most used road on the way into Sydney from the South and West would be the M5 Toll way which costs $3.30 each way to use. It saves heaps of time, if you aren't travelling in peak hour. Peak hour on this road is a car park. Too many cars, too many people doing under the speed limit in the right lane!

Ringo · 29-01-2007, 08:17 AM

1.5 - 4.5 GVM

What cab chassis is their in existance that is less than 1.5 GVM?

Should be over 2.5-4.5 GVM....anything less than 2.5 gvm is a car.

GXL078 · 29-01-2007, 09:37 AM

How about $4.50 one way for Eastern Distributor?

Why can Perth have a cross city tunnel that's free and Melbourne have a Western Orbital that's free and Sydney gets solgged? Because NSW is still paying off the 2000 Olympics, that's why.

nugget378 · 29-01-2007, 09:50 AM

How is the M4 or M5 better than the F3,these toll roads were at capactity almost as soon as they were opened.
I have had an e-way tag for ages,since my ute is registered in a company name I dont get the cash back,what was promised was removal of tolls,not a cash back,if someone can work out a way to get through the e-way without it picking you up I would use it ;)
My e-tag spends most of its time in the glovebox

merlin · 29-01-2007, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nugget378

How is the M4 or M5 better than the F3,these toll roads were at capactity almost as soon as they were opened.
I have had an e-way tag for ages,since my ute is registered in a company name I dont get the cash back,what was promised was removal of tolls,not a cash back,if someone can work out a way to get through the e-way without it picking you up I would use it ;)
My e-tag spends most of its time in the glovebox

I totally agree - when I used to ride the bike to work I had to keep the e-tag in my backpack - 50% of the time it would go off the other 50% of the time it wouldnt. Out of the times it wouldnt go off I got letters saying to pay up maybe only a few times so I am guessing they are not too vigilant in chasing up unpaid tolls.

That being said I now have to drive to work and it costs me a mere $8.80 a day or $176 a month in tolls (just for the M2) when the Lane Cove tunnel opens that will probably double my toll expenses. If I want to drive to the airport from my house it costs roughly $18 in tolls at present (that too will go up shortly).

Personally I pay the tolls as they are quicker, usually more fuel efficient (as you are not in stop start) and less mentally challenging for the daily grind. Thus for the mere stress relief they are worth it to me.

Still I do not agree with the privitisation of these roads and beleive the government should be paying to have them built with our tax dollars.

As for the original topic I find that ridiculous that you have to pay almost double the price over a car for a cab-chassis. I guess the only thing you can do is lobby to have it changed to 2.5 tonnes, I'm pretty sure bikes lobbied togther in Vic and won against the toll providers as did cyclists. Time for tradies to unite?

nugget378 · 29-01-2007, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by merlin

I totally agree - when I used to ride the bike to work I had to keep the e-tag in my backpack - 50% of the time it would go off the other 50% of the time it wouldnt. Out of the times it wouldnt go off I got letters saying to pay up maybe only a few times so I am guessing they are not too vigilant in chasing up unpaid tolls.

That being said I now have to drive to work and it costs me a mere $8.80 a day or $176 a month in tolls (just for the M2) when the Lane Cove tunnel opens that will probably double my toll expenses. If I want to drive to the airport from my house it costs roughly $18 in tolls at present (that too will go up shortly).

Personally I pay the tolls as they are quicker, usually more fuel efficient (as you are not in stop start) and less mentally challenging for the daily grind. Thus for the mere stress relief they are worth it to me.

Still I do not agree with the privitisation of these roads and beleive the government should be paying to have them built with our tax dollars.

As for the original topic I find that ridiculous that you have to pay almost double the price over a car for a cab-chassis. I guess the only thing you can do is lobby to have it changed to 2.5 tonnes, I'm pretty sure bikes lobbied togther in Vic and won against the toll providers as did cyclists. Time for tradies to unite?

My solution is a little better,I think you hit it by accident,as I dont even get the letter 90% of the time,Stuff them I say,I was never asked whether I agreed to toll roads,I never saw this on the ballot paper.
As for the extra toll for utes its BS and a blatant money grab,I have seen farmers blockading roads overseas and getting there way,maybe the tradies should organise and go this way,hit them where it hurts there revenue stream..

XR Martin · 29-01-2007, 10:15 AM

So would a Falcon Ute be classed as a Cab-chassis under that Citylink classification?

XR Martin · 29-01-2007, 10:17 AM

If there was no toll roads, youd just have greater taxes from the state. Money cant come from nowhere, and its going to come from you someway or another to pay for the road.
Like I said before, id rather a private company owning it than the Government.

merlin · 29-01-2007, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nugget378

My solution is a little better,I think you hit it by accident,as I dont even get the letter 90% of the time,Stuff them I say,I was never asked whether I agreed to toll roads,I never saw this on the ballot paper.
..

Yeah I did pick up on it...but wasnt sure if you were 100% serious!

From my experience with the bike I though maybe it was just because I was on a bike - though it seems from your subtlety that it may work both ways... :evilsasmo

I wonder is this is road specific though as they are all run by different operators...

4.9 EF Futura · 29-01-2007, 10:30 AM

Have had a bit of experience with the citylink system between Tullamarine airport and Melb CBD. Being from SA, paying to use a road is still a very foreign concept to me!!

What i cant believe is how cr*p the tollway is. I'm getting slugged about $5 per toll point in the cab ride to the city... and we're still sitting there at a dead standstill, staring at the 100km/hr speed limit sign.

FYI, in SA, the "free"ways are limited at 100km/hr and even when 'busy', we still manage to keep to that limit. Sitting still on a 4 lane 100km/hr road, surrounded by cars is something you simply dont see here. Ever. Hence, we are often amused by the efforts the eastern staters go to in order to get into the city. It's just that strange a concept to us!!

So, Falcon Coupe - is that the price for a daypass or something? Lol, I pay less for 10 hours parking in the CBD!! But hey, if the time saving is worth the $$$ then it doesnt sound too bad?

And dont they set the tolls for X number of years? Like, $x for the next 30 years to pay for it?

**Full Noise** · 29-01-2007, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

So would a Falcon Ute be classed as a Cab-chassis under that Citylink classification?

Utes, if they are based on a car, Commodore or Falcon etc are charged as cars.

Quote:

Originally Posted by merlin

I'm pretty sure bikes lobbied togther in Vic and won against the toll providers as did cyclists.

Motor cycles are not currently charged because the tolling system captures the data from the front of the vehicle and E-tags are not easily secured to motorcycles.

Cyclists are not permitted to use the tollway at all. Every now and then we get this bunch of ******s on push bikes that think it’s their god given right to block the tunnel and disrupt the lives of every one else.

You Yangs · 29-01-2007, 10:54 AM

Citylink is owned by Transurban which also runs the M7 in Sydney and on this tollroad there is no classes every vehicle pays the same price regardless.
So I think whats good for goose is good for the gander so I would contact Citylink and tell them of this fact and ask them why they have classes on some of their roads and not others.

old_phoon · 29-01-2007, 11:14 AM

I'm sure that "down the road", say 10yrs or so the private company that built the road will have to be rescued at the taxpayers expense. That will be on top of the extra money the taxpayers had to fork out to cover the original blow-out of building it in the 1st place. On top of that, every year or so the tolls will increase because the company will claim the usage/revenue isn't meeting forecasts made several years ago.
Private enterprise is only interested in making money - they are not neccissarily any better (in many cases worse!) than direct government involvement - I personally hope that PPI (public-private initiatives) DO NOT become the norm, they dont work in USA / UK and they wont work here.
F