Sydney toll road traffic dries up

Traffic on Sydney's Westlink M7 motorway, the toll road joint-owned by Macquarie Infrastructure Group and Transurban Group, fell 42 per cent after its toll-free trial period ended last week.

The average number of daily trips recorded on the 40km road was 79,033 between January 16 and January 22, when it started charging drivers, Sydney-based Macquarie Infrastructure and Melbourne-based Transurban told the stock exchange yesterday.


That's almost half the 137,013 average recorded in its first four weeks of free use between December 17 and January 15, according to previous statements.

Macquarie Infrastructure, Australia's biggest developer of toll roads, and Transurban, the nation's second-biggest, both hold a 45 per cent stake in the motorway. The remaining 10 per cent is shared by Abigroup and Leighton Holdings.