Toll road prices in BOP to increase today

The TEL is commonly used by trucks and other vehicles. File photo.

Toll prices on State Highway 2 and State Highway 29 are set to increase today.

Tolls on the Tauranga Eastern Link toll road on SH2 will increase by 10cents to $2.10 for cars, motorcycles and light commercial vehicles.

It will increase by 20cents to $5.20 for heavy commercial vehicles.

Tolls on the Takitimu Drive toll road on SH29 will increase by 10cents to $1.90 for cars, motorcycles and light commercial vehicles.

It will increase by 20 cents to $5 for heavy commercial vehicles.

NZ Transport Agency Regional Transport Systems Manager Rob Campbell says the toll increase has been kept to a minimum and is necessary to respond to inflation and ensure the toll road remains on track to repay debt as planned.

'The legislation covering the road toll allows for the tolls to be annually adjusted in line with increases in the Consumer Price Index. The tolls were last increased in 2015.”

Are any of the other charges also going up?

No, this change only affects the toll price. Administration fees for toll payment notices and service and transaction fees remain unchanged.

I have a toll road account. Do I need to do anything because of the toll change?

No. Since tolls are automatically debited to your account they will be charged at the new rate from 1 March 2019. You may want to review your top up amount to ensure it is sufficient to cover your current travel requirements.

I have pre-purchased trips will I be able to still use these?

Yes. If you have purchased trips via Pay & Go before 1 March 2019, you will still be able to use these on or after 1 March 2019.

I have pre-purchased trips will I have to pay more when the prices changes?

No. For trips purchased prior to 1 March 2019, you will not need to pay more to make up the difference. The system will recognise that the trip has been paid for, as opposed to how much the trip costs.

What is Pay & Go?

Pay & Go allows you to pay for a toll or multiple tolls on a single toll road. You can purchase up to 10 tolls per toll road in one transaction.

Pay & Go is toll road and vehicle specific. If you're going to be frequently travelling on multiple toll roads, or have more than one vehicle, an account may be your best option.

Where can I pay a Pay & Go toll?

You can pay at a few BP, Caltex and Z service stations in Northland, Auckland, Waikato and the Bay of Plenty. Find out more about Pay & Go.

Why do I have to pay charges when paying at service stations or over the phone?

Payment of tolls in person at a service station, or through the 0800 number are two methods of payment that incur additional transaction fees as they provide a personalised service – they are best suited for casual users. A $1.20 transaction fee applies to each transaction made at selected service stations and a $3.70 service fee applies to each toll purchase made through the contact centre.

For people who use the road more often, a toll road account or pre-purchasing tolls online is far more efficient. Paying for tolls using these service channels incurs no additional fees.

Do the toll prices increase each time the consumer price index (CPI) goes up?

No. To ensure that the toll roads remain on course to repay their debt, occasional increases to toll prices to adjust with the rate of inflation will occur to maintain the debt repayment timeline.

Where does the money from a toll go?

Most of money goes towards debt repayment, with $0.70c going towards operating costs to run the tolling business, and a component to Inland Revenue as GST.

For example, from a $2.40 toll, $1.39 goes towards debt repayment, $0.70c goes towards operating costs to run the tolling business and $0.31 goes to the Inland Revenue as GST.

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