While tollway plans abound, currently only three systems operate. All are operated by government-owned companies. The most successful toll system so far has been the Gateway Bridge, on an arterial road linking the Gold and Sunshine Coasts. Alarmingly, its sister companies which administer the Logan and Sunshine motorways have earned far less. A spokesman for Transport Minister David Hamill said the increased borrowings were for upgrades for extra traffic.
People go to enormous lengths to avoid the toll because they see it as double dipping.
They're paying for their roads through registration and taxes, they're paying again through their council rates, and now once more through tolls. Further, councils are paying more to maintain local roads used by vehicles avoiding the toll routes. With support from local businesses, Tollbusters in 1990 organised a two-year vigil on a bypass loop around one toll station. Because of their efforts, it is still possible to travel the motorway without paying, and Tollbusters' research estimates that 75 per cent of motorists avoid the Mooloolaba toll station. We distributed thousands of maps of these little loops.