PERROTTET’S TOLL RELIEF A BAND-AID ON A BULLET WOUND

The Transport Workers’ Union has slammed NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet’s recent toll relief announcement as grossly inadequate, likening it to a band-aid on a bullet wound.

On Tuesday Mr Perrottet announced small businesses, including owner-drivers and fleet operators, would be able to claim a rebate of up to $2,000 for various state government fees and charges incurred between 1 March 2021 and 30 June 2022 – including road tolls.

The pitiful rebate works out to around $28.60 per week – around the same cost as a single one-way trip on NorthConnex or WestConnex for heavy vehicles.

TWU NSW State Secretary Richard Olsen said the announcement by the NSW Premier showed just how out of touch the NSW Government is with the extreme pressures caused by Sydney’s out of control toll roads.

“While it’s good the NSW Government have finally woken up to the toll road crisis in Sydney, a one-off toll relief announcement of $2,000 over a 70 week period won’t even touch the sides for owner-drivers and fleet operators in Sydney.”

“Owner drivers and fleet operators across Sydney are spending hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on road tolls every week, and our new Premier is patting himself on the back for offering pitiful relief of less than $30 a week.”

“This pitiful toll relief announcement is a band-aid on a bullet wound – owner drivers and fleet operators need relief that is substantial and ongoing, not this one-off half-measure.”

“Mr Perrottet said on his first day in the job that Western Sydney would be at the heart of his Government – clearly that didn’t extend to transport workers in Western Sydney who are the hardest hit by his Government’s toll roads.”

The announcement comes after a parliamentary inquiry recently heard evidence that the Toll Group had instructed its employees and owner drivers to avoid toll roads, because “in most cases, the cost of the toll roads outweighs any benefit [they] receive from using them”.

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Media Contact: Mitch Wright – 0430 186 590