ATA Voices Concerns About Transurban-WestConnex Union

Transurban, a toll road operator and member of the Sydney Transport Partners Consortium, is currently attempting to purchase a largely underground motorway that’s under construction in Sydney. The Australian Trucking Association (ATA), which represents Australia’s trucking and transportation operators, have raised concerns about the impact of the WestConnex acquisition on the country’s trucking industry.

Falling Short

The ATA has called upon the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to take a closer look at Transurban’s acquisition plan. In response, the government organization tasked with protecting business and consumer rights has asked Transurban to publish traffic data for its current road toll network in New South Wales. But according to ATA Chair Geoff Crouch, this information falls far short of providing a complete picture of the potential damage the joint venture may inflict on the thousands of truck owners and fleet operators that traverse the roads in and around Sydney.

Chief among the ATA’s complaints is the significant decrease in competition in toll-road maintenance and construction that the sale will generate, enabling Transurban to effectively hold the industry hostage with skyrocketing heavy vehicle fees.

An Industry Under Fire

According to Crouch, “The 16,000 hardworking trucking businesses in New South Wales can’t even afford the truck tolls they are charged now. The proposed sale would push truck tolls up even higher in the long run.”

Crouch points out that the heavily tolled roadways aren’t optional for heavy vehicle operators, and the trucking industry as a whole stands to suffer if the purchase gets government approval.