Toll roads for trucks: SA Liberals willing to consider idea

[monotonehell]

Isn't this the polar opposite of what the Northern Connector is intended for? Wouldn't this encourage individual commuters while discouraging freight?

The concept of charging tolls for freight vehicles using Adelaide's north-south road corridor is winning some support from South Australian Liberals.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-23/t ... s_adelaide

[Aidan]

Isn't this the polar opposite of what the Northern Connector is intended for? Wouldn't this encourage individual commuters while discouraging freight?

The concept of charging tolls for freight vehicles using Adelaide's north-south road corridor is winning some support from South Australian Liberals.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-23/t ... s_adelaide

Australian truckies' wages are (I think) the highest in the world, so the impact of the tolls would be insignificant.

[Wayno]

Australian truckies' wages are (I think) the highest in the world, so the impact of the tolls would be insignificant.

Financial impact would be isolated to Farmers Union.

[ml69]

Isn't this the polar opposite of what the Northern Connector is intended for? Wouldn't this encourage individual commuters while discouraging freight?

The concept of charging tolls for freight vehicles using Adelaide's north-south road corridor is winning some support from South Australian Liberals.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-23/t ... s_adelaide

I read an article yesterday which was published in Jan this year where Jay Weatherill himself was apparently quoted as saying he was open to freight tolls.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sout ... 6796030332

So I don't know what Stephen Mulligan is on about ....

I think freight tolls will happen ... given that both side of government have made noises about being open to it. Seriously is the SA govt going to knock back Commonwealth funding of hundreds of millions for Northern Connector given a freight toll will have no impact on commuters, and the freight industry themselves back it? It's really a no-brainer ....

Get all the parties involved - SA Labor, SA Liberals, Federal Govt, Business SA, Freight Council etc - into a room and get them to start talking. We should aim to have this one shovel-ready in 2018 when T2T and Darlington have finished.

[monotonehell]

...given that both side of government have made noises about being open to it. Seriously is the SA govt going to knock back Commonwealth funding of hundreds of millions for Northern Connector given a freight toll will have no impact on commuters, and the freight industry themselves back it? It's really a no-brainer...

What exactly was the Federal offer and condition of tolls? I've only ever read about it third hand. Was it simply "charge a toll", or was it "partner with a commercial entity and charge a toll for their benefit", or was it just something Abbott said one day (which means it means nothing)?

[Maximus]

Isn't this the polar opposite of what the Northern Connector is intended for? Wouldn't this encourage individual commuters while discouraging freight?

The concept of charging tolls for freight vehicles using Adelaide's north-south road corridor is winning some support from South Australian Liberals.

I think that may have come from this article... Essentially, the freight industry saying if tolls are the only way to build it, then we'll do it, coz that's how much we want the road. (Very crude paraphrase.)

TRUCKIES are willing to pay tolls along Adelaide’s north-south corridor to ensure the whole route is upgraded, industry bodies say.

The Australian Logistics Council and SA Freight Council are calling on the State Government and Opposition to put politics aside and start a genuine discussion with industry and the community about the issue.

Both groups said upgrades to the congested freight corridor, including the construction of the proposed Northern Connector, was vital to the industry’s ongoing viability.

Although, clearly not all 'truckies' agree... This article also quotes Jamie Briggs as saying the project won't go ahead without “innovative ways” to finance it.