Western Australia plans to introduce truck-only tolls

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Owner/Driver / November 13, 2015

Western Australia is moving closer to allowing tolls on its road network, and trucking operators will be the first in line to pay if the plan goes ahead.

Fresh from a meeting last week where Australia's transport ministers agreed to overcharge the trucking industry on registration charges, Western Australia now wants to give the state’s transport department the power to toll roads.

Transport minister Dean Nalder has introduced the Main Roads Amendment Bill to allow Main Roads to establish a heavy vehicle charge for the proposed Perth freight link, which is due to run directly from the Roe Highway to the Port of Fremantle.

"The funding of the Perth freight Link is contingent upon a state government contribution of $650 million, of which $374.5 million will be recovered through a private sector contribution by way of a heavy vehicle charge," Nalder says.

"The charging scheme for the Perth freight link will apply only to heavy vehicles; being vehicles with a gross vehicle mass of more than 4.5 tonnes, which includes all trucks requiring a heavy vehicle driver’s licence to operate."

The WA Government has not yet determined the charge, with Nalder saying the details of the scheme and how it will operate "will be drafted in future".

The Bill will also allow Main Roads to toll other parts of the network.

"While the intention is for the heavy vehicle charging scheme to be applicable initially only in relation to the Perth freight link, the provision allows for other roads to be included under the roads that may be prescribed in the regulations," the Bill’s explanatory memorandum states.

The WA Labor Opposition has criticised the Bill and says says it does not support any toll roads in the state.

"It gives the Government the green light to impose tolls on roads across the state," opposition spokeswoman on transport Rita Saffioti says.

Nalder claims a toll will not be introduced until the Government has finished the Perth freight link.

"Exactly what that means will need to be worked through with industry," he says.

However, Nalder adds that the road project and accompanying toll will improve industry productivity.

"The heavy vehicle charge is about sharing the benefits of a win-win basis, with the transport industry contributing to an even more effective road freight network."

According to the Bill’s explanatory memorandum, the link will significantly reduce transport costs while increasing efficiency and freight access between Kewdale and the Port of Fremantle.

"Users of the future Perth Freight Link network and most importantly heavy vehicle operators, will benefit with the project expected to considerably reduce travel times," the memorandum states.

The WA Government has committed to the first stage of the project known as Roe 8 – extending the Roe Highway from the Kwinana Freeway to Stock Road – but the second stage that will take the link to the port has been put aside for at least one year.

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Western Australia releases new heavy vehicle charging regime

Australasian Transport News (ATN) / November 13, 2015

First reform in 12 years proposes more control to Commissioner of Main Roads

The Western Australian government has used main roads law reform to start the Perth Freight Link (PFL) heavy vehicle charging scheme process and to widen its scope.

Heavy vehicles are the only users that will be subject to PFL tolls under the Main Roads Amendment Bill 2015.

"While the intention is for the heavy vehicle charging scheme to be applicable initially only in relation to the Perth Freight Link, the provision allows for other roads to be included under the roads that may be prescribed in the regulations," the Bill’s explanatory memorandum states.

Of the state’s $650 million spend on the new infrastructure, state transport minister Dean Nalder says heavy vehicle owners using it will provide $374.5 million.

"I assure members that there will be extensive consultation and discussion with the community and the industry on the detail of the proposed heavy vehicle charge," Nalder tells state parliament in introducing the Bill.

"The heavy vehicle charge is about sharing the benefits on a win-win basis with the transport industry, contributing to an even more effective road freight network."

Regulations on how the scheme is actually planned to are yet to be drafted.

The explanatory memorandum says fees will relate to "prescribed routes" though these are not defined but the memorandum makes plain the link between savings for the trucking industry and fees for its use.

"Users of the future Perth Freight Link network and most importantly heavy vehicle operators, will benefit with the project expected to considerably reduce travel times," it states.

"The implementation of a direct charging scheme ensures the efficient provision and use of prescribed roads by heavy vehicles.

"These fees or charges will be the means by which a significant proportion of the State Government’s contribution to the Perth Freight Link construction costs will be recouped from the private sector (i.e. the road transport industry).

"Those heavy vehicle charges and the prescribed roads to which they will apply, will be set out in regulations which will be in place once the road network is complete."

Regulations would be made to specify one or more prohibited road or roads in relation to any prescribed road and make it an offence for drivers to take such routes "without lawful excuse".

"For each part of the network of roads that comprise the Perth Freight Link, there could be one or several other road/s which are an alternative route that heavy vehicle operators could use," the memorandum states.

"In order for the heavy vehicle charging scheme to be effective it is important to provide a disincentive, in the form of a statutory penalty, for driving on other alternative roads rather than the prescribed roads with the view to evade paying the relevant prescribed charge."

The reform aims to modernise the Main Roads Act, which has been unchanged for 12 years.

It will strengthen Commissioner of Main Roads powers, particularly in relation to safety and allow the office to "enter into innovative business arrangements, such as the creation of private entities, to enable the Main Roads to operate more commercially", Nalder says.

This might include dealing with a company involved in toll collection and will include more powers over infrastructure provision.

The trip-line for ministerial consent on projects will rise from $500,000 to $1-5 million.

There will be greater powers over local government after consultation "to mitigate the effects of works on local roads to minimise traffic congestion

The reform Bill and the memorandum can be found here.