9 October 2009

Interstate Toll Fines - help !!

| Affirmative Action Man
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I have just been to Melbourne & I’m sure I went on some toll roads without paying. No doubt they will track me down & send me a bill.

My car has ACT plates so what happens if I ignore it ?

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taco said :

Wasn’t it one of those two roads that had the alternate route blocked to force people to use the new road a few years ago?

Close. It was actually the Lane Cove Tunnel which youre thinking about, I believe. From memory the issue was more to do with the traffic lights giving higher priority to toll-road traffic. From a quick read of the wiki article, it appears there was some controversy over the installation of a bus lane on the non-toll road, which seems to make sense as you dont really want buses to stop on an ‘express’ tollroad anyway.

dvaey said :

Another thing to remember, is that you dont HAVE to use a toll road. Toll roads such as Eastlink or the M7, didnt replace existing roads, they added a different route with more convenience and were paid for by a private business, not your (their) tax dollars. If youre using a GPS and dont wish to pay tolls in an interstate city, just tell it not to use toll roads and youll be set.

Wasn’t it one of those two roads that had the alternate route blocked to force people to use the new road a few years ago?

If your travelling to Sydney and paying on the net, go to ROMA.COM, cover yourself for a month, as I only put down the time I expected to be away, I stayed longer, I recieved a notice for payment for return

I visit both Sydney and Melbourne frequently, and even went so far as to get an E-tag(*). I find the tolling is often erratic, with maybe 1 of 3 visits to Melbourne actually appearing on my toll account. The bigger problem, especially with the Melbourne toll roads, is that it can sometimes take 3 or 4 months for a toll to appear on your account. A couple of times Ive waited a couple of weeks, without seeing a toll, only to be aware its been applied to my e-tag account when they direct debit my account (which they do without notice, and without receipt.. when questioned they said the next months statement is my receipt).

Another thing to remember, is that you dont HAVE to use a toll road. Toll roads such as Eastlink or the M7, didnt replace existing roads, they added a different route with more convenience and were paid for by a private business, not your (their) tax dollars. If youre using a GPS and dont wish to pay tolls in an interstate city, just tell it not to use toll roads and youll be set.

*- I use a NSW RTA E-tag, as other companies who issue tags such as Citylink or Roam will sometimes charge a fee if you dont use the tag a minimum amount, whereas RTA E-tags dont matter if you use them everyday or once in two years, there are no additional charges.

I love my beepy little toll tag. Set it, forget it, no need to worry about this kind of stuff when I do make the odd trip to Hell (aka Sydney).

Up The Duffy10:25 pm 09 Oct 09

Get a e-tag it works in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, and make interstate travel to the Capital Cities bliss for getting around.

For those pre-paying or calling the eastlink et al companies to pay for isolated toll use, make sure you keep the receipts. My mother received a bill/fine from eastlink, even though she was sure she had paid. she went back through her records from six months earlier and sure enough she had paid.

Im confident that there is a proportion of people who just would have paid the invoice/fine without checking.

Ralph said :

REVS.

And you won’t be able to sell your car until you pay up. Trust me, I know.

Hmmm… I must have been lucky, I drove through Melb without registering with the toll company, and sold my car since with no problems (drove through Melb about 4 yrs ago).

though if it’s melbourne, they may engage an underworld hit on you to pop a cap in yo ass…

or they might send a note with very simple instructions on how to pay the very small amount – if my recent experience crossing sydney’s harbour tunnel is any indication…

SpellingAndGrammar6:22 pm 09 Oct 09

I drive to Melbourne and back at least 4 times a year using CityLink every time. I have not paid now for about the last 4 years, have sold a car during that time without problem and never been written to. So I guess that means I am either very lucky or I have a very big bill on its way based on other comments here…

When I went through a e-tag only tollway in Sydney last year without really knowing if I had or not I got a letter in the mail with the toll charge and a fairly small admin fee.

Personally I think that tollways in general are ridiculous, and they have only proliferated with state Labor’s financial incompetence, but e-tag only tollways are asinine.

If they want to charge me for using the road, make sure I know I need to pay and make it simple for visitors to do so by having a cash lane.

Hells_Bells743:57 pm 09 Oct 09

The times I’ve been to Melbourne I’ve been given 24 hours to ring a toll number and pay for as many days as I need over the phone with a credit card and rego number. It doesn’t matter if you have already been through some as long as you do it that day or next morning.

I couldn’t think of a better way to avoid this in the future if you haven’t prepaid (which would work same way).

I personally think you should pay it when you get an invoice, you did the wrong thing, like many others, should they just let everyone off paying small fines/admin costs?

First you get a late toll notice which is the cost of the tolls with an admin fee tacked on the top. If you don’t pay that, then it progresses to a fine, etc…

REVS.

And you won’t be able to sell your car until you pay up. Trust me, I know.

I know with speed fines, or traffic infringments that they can only suspend your right to drive in VIC if you dont pay the fine…

So if you dont plan on going back, or more importantly if you dont plan on being the driver, you dont have to, and shouldnt pay…

In my experience? Nothing.

But YMMV, of course…

Rawhide Kid No 211:03 am 09 Oct 09

S4anta said :

Citylink is hooked into NEVDIS, so if you don’t pay odds a certain that your rego will be suspended without notice and you’ll be up the pooper, unless you like the giddy little thrill of driving around an unregistered/uninsured car.

I doubt that any interstate toll company(private or Government)can suspend your ACT registration or Drivers license for not paying a toll fee. However you can be fined for not paying and if you still do not pay then it goes to court. Its down hill from there on.

You will get a letter in the mail with a bill to pay. No big deal.

Citylink is hooked into NEVDIS, so if you don’t pay odds a certain that your rego will be suspended without notice and you’ll be up the pooper, unless you like the giddy little thrill of driving around an unregistered/uninsured car.

You can get the epass online up to a couple of days after the travel.

http://www.citylink.com.au/1526.jsp

If it has been longer than that, give them a call on 132629.

I made the same mistake and had a fine sent to me. I explained and had it changed to a caution. Best get onto it before that happens though as you may not be as lucky.

You can buy a CityLink pass before, or up to midnight three days after you travel on CityLink. If a CityLink pass is not purchased for your travel on CityLink the registered vehicle owner may receive a Late Toll invoice for this travel.

https://www.citylink.com.au/pages/secure/PassPurchase/index.jsf

If you don’t pay the late toll invoice, you get a fine.

NB: Separate arrangements exist for EastLink (the Mitcham to Frankston freeway)

Hard to say. I did this about five years ago in Melbourne, and they never bothered making me pay, even after I wrote to them on the matter. But technology changes, and I know in Sydney now, they make you pay. Toll, plus $12 admin fee for each toll. I’d take S4anta’s advice and pay. It’s not very expensive anyway.

go here, City Link make the payment, rest easy.

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