Eastlink (Melb) Cost Warning!

Auslandau · 22-08-2008, 02:47 PM

No wonder Eastlink is the new White Elephant with no one using it! If you do not have an account ..... $40.00 set up fee ....... A cost of a single small trip is a killer.

I have an Etag and pays through work so I havn't kept up with the way it works but my son used it today to go from Greens Road to Cheltenham Rd (2 gates approx 2 km's .... if that) go to pay on my card and the option is to pay $4.96. One fee for one trip, even if you use 1 toll ..... From entry to next exit 500 metre trip. Get on accidently and its instantly $4.96 even if you get off the next immeadiate exit.

No wonder the road is so empty and Stud Rd is back to the way is was with no one using it. Everywhere you go its just bend over and take it with a smile on your dial.

For me, yes I can afford to use it ..... at the moment ..... just waiting for the monthly bill to see what it is really costing.

For interstaters using the road, please just be careful! $100 fine after 3 days non payment or $4.96 for a 25 second blast ....... cameras are starting to operate as well with a minium of 10 being set up with a very marginal tolerance.

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xr8 utey · 22-08-2008, 03:00 PM

hi, would i have to worry about this "eastlink" if i'm coming from sydney to go to phillip island?
my route would be straight down the hume from narellan(syd)then down past dandenong(expressway) thru to PI.just not sure where this eastlink is??
thanks for any guidance!

Hitman · 22-08-2008, 03:37 PM

Nah, you wont have to worry about it.

xr8 utey · 22-08-2008, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hitman

Nah, you wont have to worry about it.

thanks

22-08-2008, 03:41 PM

You won't hit it if you come from the Hume to PI. You will however be stung with Citylink unless you take an alternative route.

But if you're driving from Sydney, I'd say it's the easiest to just pay the Shittylink fee.

Btw, what do you mean by don't have an account? I have a Citylink eTag account? Does that mean I'll be hit by a big charge?

I thought it'd just be a few cents.

XC_Lizzard · 22-08-2008, 04:03 PM

The eastlink account is not as bad as the citylink account. The $40 is not an account setup cost, just the minimum initial balance, so without paying any extra you have $40 in trips you can use. Also as near as I can figure, account balances on Eastlink don't expire (unlike CityLink), so there should be no penalty for infrequent use. I'm not saying its good, just better than what Citylink was offering.

Watch out for their Bonus credit offers though, you only get matching credit for tolls incurred in a specific timeframe.

The Eastlink daypasses (or trip-passes) for short trips do seem to be a blatant money grab, but then so is CityLink.

Having said that, I don't use Eastlink regularly either. It shouldn't be tolled, and I'm not even going to give them someone else's money (I also have a work paid Citylink tag). Eastlink is a better way to and from work for me, but not $10 a day worth of better.

TZENU · 22-08-2008, 04:11 PM

They advertise on the eastlink $4.96 toll cap. So if you jump on make sure you use the whole lot !!!

deesun · 22-08-2008, 04:22 PM

So I would assume Citylink is also a tollway, therefore if XR8utey is going that way and has a NSW etag will it work or will he have to pay some other way if the tollway is cashless or are there tollgates to pay at?

XWGT · 22-08-2008, 04:33 PM

All ETAGs work on both Citylink and Eastlink

If you have an existing Citlyink ETAG just use that on Eastlink, no additional charges, and vice versa, if you open an Eastlink account you can use it on Citylink for no additional charges.

XC_Lizzard · 22-08-2008, 04:39 PM

The $4.96 is a capped price per trip (not per day). Just make sure you use one the the tunnels ($2.20 just for a trip through a tunnel).

Mind you, the Eastlink tunnels echo a V8 much better than the CityLink tunnels!

**Whoosha** · 22-08-2008, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deesun

So I would assume Citylink is also a tollway, therefore if XR8utey is going that way and has a NSW etag will it work or will he have to pay some other way if the tollway is cashless or are there tollgates to pay at?

All tags from all all states are now linked Melb.Syd.Brissy. but may incure a $1 extra fee per trip No toll gate any ware in Melb. just a phone number to ring and pay with in a 36/ 48 hour time frame

Auslandau · 22-08-2008, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XC_Lizzard

The eastlink account is not as bad as the citylink account. The $40 is not an account setup cost, just the minimum initial balance, so without paying any extra you have $40 in trips you can use. Also as near as I can figure, account balances on Eastlink don't expire (unlike CityLink), so there should be no penalty for infrequent use. I'm not saying its good, just better than what Citylink was offering.

Watch out for their Bonus credit offers though, you only get matching credit for tolls incurred in a specific timeframe.

The Eastlink daypasses (or trip-passes) for short trips do seem to be a blatant money grab, but then so is CityLink.

Having said that, I don't use Eastlink regularly either. It shouldn't be tolled, and I'm not even going to give them someone else's money (I also have a work paid Citylink tag). Eastlink is a better way to and from work for me, but not $10 a day worth of better.

Yep the $40 goes towards using it but if you are an infrequent user, interstate or from the bush, it is not worth paying the $40. A 30second trip is $5.00 so if you are going to use it ........ stay on it for 1 hour as thats how long the $4.96 lasts! If you travel the 30km or 500 metres ...... still $4.96.

If you have an Etag, it will cost you between 33 cents to whatever for the tunnel. 33 cents to $4.96 for those who pay on credit card afterwards? 1500% extra to pay on the day! Yep all good here!

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predator_230 · 22-08-2008, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by auslandau

Yep the $40 goes towards using it but if you are an infrequent user, interstate or from the bush, it is not worth paying the $40. A 30second trip is $5.00 so if you are going to use it ........ stay on it for 1 hour as thats how long the $4.96 lasts! If you travel the 30km or 500 metres ...... still $4.96.

If you have an Etag, it will cost you between 33 cents to whatever for the tunnel. 33 cents to $4.96 for those who pay on credit card afterwards? 1500% extra to pay on the day! Yep all good here!

Why would anyone buy a trip pass for eastlink to use it for one toll point? Why not just go around it as you wouldve done so before it opened up.
If you have an etag or breeze tag you have nothing to worry about as for the people who dont, there are many other options available.
pointless topic...............

bob 351 · 22-08-2008, 08:37 PM

I USED IT YESTERDAY TWO TRIPS FROM MONASH TO CHANDLER HWY AND RETURN PAID AT THE POST OFFICE TODAY 12 BUCKS HOPE I DONT HAVE TO PAY ANY MORE

WHAT A BLOODY RIP OFF

Spanrz · 22-08-2008, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XC_Lizzard

Mind you, the Eastlink tunnels echo a V8 much better than the CityLink tunnels!

Ahahaha, is this what you are talking about? And this is 300 metres back.

I have no issue with Eastlink, as I have a "breeze" account. All tags work on each other's roads. And interstate as well. (Breeze only)

We got the $60 free account, because we bought the tags very early.

Considering I work in Clayton, live in Narre South, this morning my $1.00 going to work payed for itself so much, it was worth $5.00.

If anyone drove on the Monash this morning around 6:30-7am, they would have cursed themselves, and here I was very happy paying 1 dollar with no frustration, I got off at Police Road then up Jacksons.
Monash would have taken 20 minutes from police road to Springy road.

But if I had of gone the South Gippy Freeway/ Monash Freeway, would have been an hour, instead it was 35 mins

EDIT: Don't get me wrong, I hate paying, but if 1 dollar saves me 30 minutes, who can complain.
My wife drives from Narre South to the Ringwood Bypass, ok, costs her the 5 bucks each way, but hey it's either that or 1 - 1 1/2 hours drive to work the back roads on wet days. It now takes 35-40 minutes.
I think it's justified. If the price was any higher, well yes, then traffic on Eastlink wouldn't be justifed.

Auslandau · 22-08-2008, 09:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by predator_230

Why would anyone buy a trip pass for eastlink to use it for one toll point? Why not just go around it as you wouldve done so before it opened up.
If you have an etag or breeze tag you have nothing to worry about as for the people who dont, there are many other options available.
pointless topic...............

Did you read it or just pop in to make a pointless trolling remark?

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predator_230 · 23-08-2008, 12:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by auslandau

Did you read it or just pop in to make a pointless trolling remark?

:

Yeah dude it was read but its nothing new, to travel on citylink with no tag account you have to go through the same procedure ie: buy a trip pass/ day pass/ weeked pass etc... standard tollway crap you have to go through.
At least if u dont have your tag on your car they only charge you 22 cents for number plate recognition as apposed to $1.30 for citylink.
Standard.........

:

esp302v8 · 23-08-2008, 01:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BA Waggn

Ahahaha, is this what you are talking about? And this is 300 metres back.

I have no issue with Eastlink, as I have a "breeze" account. All tags work on each other's roads. And interstate as well. (Breeze only)

We got the $60 free account, because we bought the tags very early.

Considering I work in Clayton, live in Narre South, this morning my $1.00 going to work payed for itself so much, it was worth $5.00.

If anyone drove on the Monash this morning around 6:30-7am, they would have cursed themselves, and here I was very happy paying 1 dollar with no frustration, I got off at Police Road then up Jacksons.
Monash would have taken 20 minutes from police road to Springy road.

But if I had of gone the South Gippy Freeway/ Monash Freeway, would have been an hour, instead it was 35 mins

EDIT: Don't get me wrong, I hate paying, but if 1 dollar saves me 30 minutes, who can complain.
My wife drives from Narre South to the Ringwood Bypass, ok, costs her the 5 bucks each way, but hey it's either that or 1 - 1 1/2 hours drive to work the back roads on wet days. It now takes 35-40 minutes.
I think it's justified. If the price was any higher, well yes, then traffic on Eastlink wouldn't be justifed.

This is our tunnel in Perth............the sound of a V8 is farkin awesome !!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9M3j...?t=9923&page=4

Andy.

MITCHAY · 23-08-2008, 02:25 AM

So glad I don't have to pay this sort of crap down here.

Spanrz · 23-08-2008, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by esp302v8

This is our tunnel in Perth............the sound of a V8 is farkin awesome !!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9M3j...?t=9923&page=4

Andy.

Ahh nice, like the short solid noises around 45-50 sec.

Did you hear of this one ? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxol0cRDTks
He should have bought a Falcon V8 instead of a riceburner.

But yeah, to use Eastlink makes sense.

But all these bloody toll roads, I really hope they pull the tolling up in 20 years.
When it pays for itself 2 x over.
Just like they did with the Westgate Bridge, however I think they would start tolling that to pay for upgrades to it. So funny, there would be a huge mass of people objecting to that.
I think I hear the name "flak jacket johnny" come to mind for the Premier! Ahaha.