Bloody etags again

After my last hassles I decided to get an etag . So on my last trip ( to
Qld ) using the M2 I had it in my top left pocket on my dririder jacket.
Result......2 toll charges in the mail


And how retarded is the Hills M2 .... no way I can go online and provide my
etag number instead of using snail mail. I had assumed that if you had an
etag they would atomatically check and debit the account if the tag didnt
work . Thats the main reason I got the etag ie to avoid hassles

 

A couple of months ago, I was kinda pushed into getting an RTA e-tag for
Angie's car. On the form I added the rego numbers for two of the
motorcycles.

I was under the impression that, if I used a toll road on either of the
two bikes, I didn't need to take the e-tag out of the car, and that the
system would just "magically" know who I was and bill me accordingly.

From what will has said it would seem that I am wrong in this.

Anyone know, for certain, what the situation really is?

regards,
CrazyCam

 

If you have the RTA etag you're fine, I'm set up exactly the same way
I have a car and 2 bikes on the one Etag. The etag stays permanently
in the car.

Every now and then I get snailmails complaining I haven't paid the
toll - I fill in the form, fax it the RTA, they debit the account.
Most of the tolls get automatically allocated for some unknown reason
a portion of them don't <shrug> I don't find it a hassle.

The M2's version may not be as good by the sound of it

JL

 

JL wrote:

Thanks for that, John.

If I ever get over my religious objections to paying twice to use a road
I might give it a go.

regards,
CrazyCam

 

In aus.motorcycles on Fri, 28 Sep 2007 09:13:45 +1000

My understanding is that if the tag doesn't register then they have to
get your address from the RTA and then send you a toll notice.

If you have a tag then you send back the tag number and they bill your
tag account.

The RTA don't have to pay for the address information, but they can't
just charge your tag for your trip over their own toll (which is just
the Harbour) that's different branches.

The other toll operators have to charge you.

If you go over a Transurban toll gate and you hav a Transurban tag,
they can consult their own database. It isn't clear if you have to
tell them "please bill my account when you see my number plate" or if
they do it automatically.

The solution? Don't bother carrying the tag. When the request comes,
save up a few then send it to them snail mail on their reply-paid
address or call them and tell them as long as they have a free number
to do it on.

IF they are going to charge bikes, then they can damn well pay for the
privilege.

Zebee

 

Not sure of the Road name but its either the M5 or M7 thats takes you on to
the M2. Now have nether recieved anything from them so either the etag has
worked correctly or they have it on record and just debit the account. Its
just the M2 that sends this shit out and you have to send it back by snail
mail.

Why not just have one authority that collects tolls and allocates the money
to the roads owners. Surely it would save money on duplications of services
but I guess its just to simple.

btw: my etag is a Roam E Tag and according to the infringement notice they
recommend if you use this roads regularly you open a ROAM Express account
and states go to their website at www.roamexpress.com.au. FFS MY TAG IS A
ROAM ETAG

Anyway I feel like I pie for lunch so will just take a quick trip up to the
Robertson Pie Shop via Maquarie Pass....

 

I have an etoll transponder for the bike, I velcroed it inside the lid of my
pannier and also got one for the car.
I have had no problems with it, it works perfectly, I even had the sucker
in my pocket in my leather jacket for a while and it still worked
flawlessly. I originally put $25 bucks on it, when it needs topping up it
automatically debits the credit card.
I think the transponder has to be registered to the vehicle you are using it
on otherwise you will get charged the toll price of a car.
http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/usingroads/etoll/index.html

 

Mainly due to to the ex minister of billboards Mr Laurie Bereton, bikes
and cars in NSW pay the same toll (Was in the original contract he had
drawn up for the Harbour Tunnel)


--

Stan Gifford
Current: 06 Triumph Speedmaster
Prev: 94 Ultra classic.
Before that: 99-FXD Superglide

Remove my strides to email me
<Witty comment here>

 

In aus.motorcycles on Fri, 28 Sep 2007 12:12:50 +1000

Commercial in confidence, and privacy laws.

Pretty much you'd have to have each operator hand over databases and
such. To the RTA who are the ones with the data.

And lots and lots and lots of people get access to your details
including when and where you are.

Then it's easy to track you, but if you have done nothing wrong you
have nothing to fear, right?

And increasing the number of people who know you have a really
expensive bike on your tag list, and are currently on another bike
well away from home, well that's not a problem is it.

Lastly of course.... you want a combined database that works? hah!



Zebee

 

Why not have the RTA run it. They have the data now so lets cut the rest of
this shit and have one etag / epass system. The toll companies submit the
license number and the RTA bills us and credits the toll company. And if we
don't pay the RTA they just cancel our licenses/rego.

This current system suxs big-time and for people that rarely use these
fffing roads its bloody confusing and annoying

And as for tracking , well I really dont give a flying .......... They have
enough data on me as it is so a bit more wont make any difference. Anyway
who says big brother hasnt access to all these databases as it is ?

 

If you have a RTA etag the above scenario will work for the harbour tunnel
and bridge crossings.

It will not work for any other tollway.

The procedure is that the other tollway owners have to get vehicle details
from the RTA to send the toll "reminder" notices in the mail.

 

Hi Richard.

When the other operators send me a reminder, does that include some
surcharge, or do I just quote the e-tag number and have a standard toll
taken out?

regards,
CrazyCam

 

Yup you only pay an admin fee if you don't have an account. If you do
have an account then that's the bit where you fill in the form and fax
it off. Theoretically it's because your tag didn't work (not bloody
surprising when it's 20Km away !)

I could have sworn that there have been times when non - harbour tolls
have come off the tag without me filling in the form thugh.

JL

 

Well have travelled the M7 and either the Tag has worked ( but not on the M2
section ) or they have taking it off without me filling in forms.

 

From what I've experienced...

SWR (State-Wide Roads, who run the M4 & M5) sent out letters to all of their
tag holders a couple of years back, asking for the registration numbers of
all vehicles likely to be using the tag, and I've not once since received a
snail-mail payment demand.

I've used the M7 in a pinch several times, thinking "bugger it, I'll pay the
surcharge retrospectively," and not gotten any notice nor charge from them.
I don't know whether they're simply ignoring bikes or I've just been lucky,
but I'm not planning on using it with any regularity to find out.

The M2 has always been a bit of an elitist road; it took them quite a while
to start acknowledging other operators' tags, and I'd dare say they're too
stingy to afford either an OCR system or a low-paid kid to correlate the
registration number to known tagholder accounts.

Then again, there exists the problem if the tag belongs to another
operator - do the individual toll companies have access to such correlative
information as a separate process from the acquisition of address details
from the RTA?

--
Bob Milutinovic
Cognicom - "Australia's Web Presence Specialists"
http://www.cognicom.net.au/
telephone (0417) 45-77-66
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