Two Liverpool Labor councillors have enlisted research on congestion in a new campaign against two new roads tolls on the M5 and the M8.
Councillors Nathan Hagarty and Charishma Kaliyanda have tabled a notice of motion for debate at the July 29 meeting of Liverpool Council.
The motion calls on the State Government to scrap the toll on the M5 East and introduce a grace period on the new M8.
“Toll roads do not reduce congestion, despite claims to the contrary from the NSW Government,’’ says Cr Hagarty, citing research from the UTS Transport Research Centre.
“The Premier was right on one thing though – this is ‘toll mania’.
“The research is clear, tolling a road does not reduce congestion,’’ Cr Hagarty said.
“All this does is take hard earned money from local families and local businesses and puts it into the coffers of private tolling companies.’’
Cr Kaliyanda said that the amount of tolling on Sydney roads, especially the M5, was unfair for locals.
“Previous tolls have had a grace period or a cashback scheme,’’ she said.
“This new toll has neither and is a kick in the teeth for people already struggling with a pandemic and the first recession in three decades.’’
Anne Stanley, the Federal Member for Werriwa, has joined forces with the two councillors in slamming the NSW Government’s imposition of two new tolls on South Western Sydney residents.
“We have the most tolled roads in the world,” says Ms Stanley.
“More and more people are doing it tough and struggling to make ends meet, and this is an added cost the NSW Liberal Government have put on hardworking families in South Western Sydney.
“We know more tolls does not mean less gridlock, it makes no sense.’’
Ms Stanley has asked residents to keep an eye on their letterboxes over the coming weeks for a petition calling on the State Government to remove the M5 East toll.
“Let’s send a clear message to the NSW Liberal Government – Werriwa says no to this unfair new toll on the old M5 East.”
