Most Australians support road user charging: survey

Most Australians support replacing the fuel excise with a road user charge, and this increases when reform is linked to benefits such as improved road maintenance, according to a new survey released by Transport Australia.

TA chief executive Ehssan Veiszadeh said Australians understand the need for a funding system that is fair and sustainable. “Australians rely on the road network every day to get to work, move freight, connect communities and support the economy,” Mr Veiszadeh said.

“As the fuel excise revenue becomes less sustainable over time, particularly as the vehicle fleet changes, we need to have a national conversation about future road funding.”

Key findings include:

• Most (59 per cent) Australians support replacing fuel tax with a per-kilometre road user charge, rising to 71 per cent among EV/ Hybrid drivers.
• Support rises when reform is linked to better road maintenance (65 per cent).
• Support is stronger in Queensland (67 per cent) and among people living in cities (66 per cent).
• More than half (53 per cent) believe all drivers should contribute equally to road maintenance regardless of vehicle type, and this is stronger (64 per cent) among EV/ Hybrid drivers.
• 51 per cent believe EV and hybrid drivers should begin paying a road user charge now, there is also support for a phased start, especially among EV/hybrid drivers.
• Only around one-third say they know how roads are funded; most do not.

Transport Australia members Transurban and Q-Free partnered with Transport Australia on the road user charge survey.

“A modern road user charge is a fair and sustainable way to tackle congestion and fund the road maintenance we need to keep our cities moving,” said Transurban chief executive Michelle Jablko. “This research highlights the opportunity to design a road user charging system that has motorists at the core.”

Similarly, Q-Free chief executive Mark Talbot said Government had evaluated numerous mechanisms to fund essential road infrastructure for more than a decade. “New approaches are needed, and these will require new policies and operational solutions to implement them,” he said.