Changes to the Unpaid Tolls Process in NSW

NSW Taxi Council Advocates for Vehicle Owners to have Option to Nominate Drivers at the Penalty Notice Stage*​

Source: NSW Motorways / NSW Government

As part of the NSW Government’s commitment to improving the tolling system, changes led by NSW Motorways will remove administration fees, shift communications to digital, and reform the unpaid toll process.

What does this mean for Taxi Operators and Drivers?

• Digital Toll Payment Demands will commence issuance from late July. These will be issued electronically using the contact details associated with the vehicle registration and addressed to the vehicle owner. Communications are currently in development, however, can confirm information will include the date and time of travel, toll road travelled, toll amount with applicable video matching fee and the toll road operator to whom payment is owed. Where an email address is not available, a Toll Payment Demand will be issued by mail.

• Toll Payment Demands will be issued to the email/SMS details recorded against the vehicle registration. If multiple vehicles are registered using the same email/SMS address, notifications for those vehicles will be issued to that account. Operators should ensure registration contact details remain accurate and upto date.

• Toll notices issued before July will continue to be managed under the existing process, including any applicable administration fees. Toll notice administration fees will no longer apply under the new Toll Payment Demand process from July.

• Payment for travel is due at the time of travel with payment arrangements in place. Where no payment arrangements are in place an Unpaid Toll Reminder will be issued around 2–3 days after travel and a Toll Payment Demand will generally be issued around 8 days after travel where payment has not been received.

• Outstanding tolls can be paid through an existing toll account via the toll operator's online portal where a tag was not present in the vehicle or the vehicle was not linked to a toll account at the time of travel via the toll operator portals Etoll Toll Search or Linkt Toll Search. This portal also enables visibility of all outstanding tolls against a license plate number, currently export or download capabilities are in consideration with toll operators

• Driver nominations will no longer be available under the Toll Payment Demand process. However, if an unpaid toll progresses to a penalty notice, the registered vehicle owner may nominate another driver, subject to Revenue NSW nomination requirements. If the nominated penalty notice is paid, payment resolves the unpaid toll amount associated with the offence.

Some additional information is also available here regarding these changes.

*MESSAGE TO TAXI DRIVERS AND OPERATORS

FROM NSW TAXI COUNCIL

The NSW Taxi Council encourages Operators to review their tolling arrangements, vehicle registration details, and internal processes, including those arrangements with their Drivers to ensure they are ready for the revised framework. 

This includes arrangements between Operators and Drivers to pay any "Unpaid Tolls a Driver has Incurred" before the toll proceeds to the Penalty Notice stage. This is important to avoid the result in a Driver being nominated for the Penalty, resulting in the Driver having to pay a significant higher amount in relation to the Penalty Notice (fine), for an unpaid toll they have incurred.