Sydney's complex system of toll roads, including the pricing structure and impacts on the cost of living, is to be examined as part of a major state government review.
The review was revealed in a Treasury document marked "sensitive", which was tabled in the NSW parliament during questions on notice.
That document states the pricing structure of Sydney's toll roads evolved on a case-by-case basis, which has led to inconsistencies, inequity and customer confusion.
"While there is a set of "Tolling Principles" that guides the toll-setting process," the document states, "the current arrangements do not reflect a system-wide approach and incorporate many different charging mechanisms."
The review will examine pricing inconsistencies, cost-of-living impacts, fairness and equity for road users as well as congestion impacts.
John Graham, NSW Labor's Shadow Minister for Roads, said the review proved the current system was unfair.
"The government's finally realised what every driver knows: that the cost of tolls is really going through the roof — they're high and getting higher," he said.
"We know that 17 of the 20 top toll-paying suburbs are in Sydney's west and we know [that], in some of those areas, the top 10 per cent of drivers are paying more than $6,000 [in tolls] a year.
"That's simply out of reach for ordinary people doing their ordinary business of moving about the city."
The NSW Minister for Metropolitan Roads, Natalie Ward, said the review would examine all possible options in order to help reduce the cost pressure of using Sydney's toll roads.
"Those motorways mean that tradies can get to more jobs, more quickly," she said.
"It means families can get across the network, can get to school, get to work and get home more quickly and they do that with a reliable, safe journey on our motorways.
"That comes at a cost and we're looking at ways to reduce those cost of living pressures."
Labor called for signs to be installed at specific toll roads that inform drivers how much they will pay and how much time they will save using the road.
Mr Graham said the Sydney toll road initiative would be an extended version of the electronic decision point signs recently trialled in Victoria.
"The Melbourne trial included the travel time savings but not yet the prices. We'd like to see both those things displayed," he said.
"That allows drivers to really make the choice about what works for them as they move around Sydney."
However, Premier Dominic Perrottet said that signs would "create more distractions for drivers" and that motorists could use apps to check toll routes.
