Bell St, Coburg Exit Closed on Freeway, Forced to Go through Toll Road?

hamwhisperer on 10/04/2022 - 23:22

I see another post like this here from 2019, the guy was stung $31 (wtf?)

I was just heading back from Ballarat and found Bell St Coburg exit closed on the freeway, it was 10pm, the signs said due to a closure at 11pm.. (yeah good timing guys)

So I got stuck heading south on the toll road into some Brunswick exit. I don't even know the toll company name or cost or whatever.
I'm pretty @#%ing peeved to be honest. Based on this other guys post, it looks like I'm stung here?
(I don't have an e-tag either)

Anyone else been done by this stupidity?

Automotive

Comments

  • jv on 10/04/2022 - 23:31
    +2

    You will probably end up going to jail then…

    or pay here

    or call them and they might even tell you, you don't have to pay…

    • hamwhisperer on 10/04/2022 - 23:34
      +1

      Oh no no no, I'm not pre-emptively paying for this bull!@$#, in the /very least/ I'm calling to discuss it and try and get out of it.

      It's ridiculous and I shouldn't have to pay at all.

      • jv on 10/04/2022 - 23:35
        +2

        Phone
        Linkt customer care
        13 33 31
        7am to 7pm, Monday to Friday

      • jv on 10/04/2022 - 23:36
        -1

        It's ridiculous and I shouldn't have to pay at all.

        It's a private road, not a public road.

        • fantombloo on 10/04/2022 - 23:37
          +4

          That's the ridiculous part.

          • jv on 10/04/2022 - 23:39

            @fantombloo: That they built it ???

            • fantombloo on 10/04/2022 - 23:43
              +12

              @jv: That in a developed country it costs $7.23 on top of all our other taxes to use a road for 10 minutes. That the state has sold out to corps. That they even got a chance to build it on the terms they did.

              • hamwhisperer on 11/04/2022 - 00:03
                +2

                @fantombloo: It's not that I used the road. It's that I was forced to use the road.

              • jv on 11/04/2022 - 00:55
                +1

                @fantombloo:

                That in a developed country it costs $7.23 on top of all our other taxes to use a road for 10 minutes.

                It is optional and a private rd.

                You have a choice whether to use that, or just use the public roads instead if you don't want to pay tolls.

                I use a mixture of the two, depending on whether I'm in a hurry, and whether at the time, getting to my destination quicker is worth me paying the toll…
                It's good to have a choice…

              • jv on 11/04/2022 - 01:01
                +1

                @fantombloo:

                That the state has sold out to corps.

                The state couldn't afford to build it.

                • fantombloo on 11/04/2022 - 10:13
                  +1

                  @jv:

                  The state couldn't afford to build it.

                  If you don't find that ridiculous, that with a whole continent overflowing with natural resources to exploit the state can't even cobble up enough dough to build a necessary road in a capital city, but can spend money on things that are totally unnecessary, then I'm afraid we're at an impasse.

                  • jv on 11/04/2022 - 10:16

                    @fantombloo:

                    If you don't find that ridiculous

                    Who is building Dan's new link road, and is that a beater deal than Citylink?

        • hamwhisperer on 11/04/2022 - 00:02
          +3

          I didn't want to go ON the private road. They blocked the public road, an hour early?

          • jv on 11/04/2022 - 00:53

            @hamwhisperer:

            I didn't want to go ON the private road.

            Whether you wanted to or not, you still did.

            Maybe complain to VicRoads for closing Bell St. That has nothing to do with CityLink. They don't control Bell St.

            Why don't you just call Linkt customer care tomorrow and ask? There's a chance they might have turned off the tolls. They sometimes do that when there is an accident and cars are diverted onto Citylink to get out at the next exit.

  • jv on 10/04/2022 - 23:39
    +2

    If you do need to pay, you have 5 days to pay $7.23, otherwise you will need to pay much, much more…

    Just call them and explain what happened.

    • Porker on 11/04/2022 - 00:07
      +1

      You'd think that that would be the msot straight forward method to seeking resolution.

      • jv on 11/04/2022 - 00:57
        +1

        Sounds like OP would prefer to waste hours of their time fighting this, rather than paying $7…
        Not everyone is born with common sense…

    • hamwhisperer on 11/04/2022 - 08:17

      Thanks for that, I've done so, they have no idea wtf.

  • Mechz on 11/04/2022 - 03:58

    Imagine how long OPs rant would be if they got forced to go through the tunnel…

    Seriously, Bell St is clogged with traffic as it is. Imagine how bad it would be without the Citylink.

    • hamwhisperer on 11/04/2022 - 08:17
      -4

      I don't understand your beef or anyone, this is OzBargain, EVERYONE here is tight.

      I'm old, so I remember when Citylink / E-Tag stuff would FINE you $25, 20 years ago.
      I don't want, a random $25 fine, let alone how much it would be now with inflation.

      I don't use toll roads.

      PLUS!

      The sign said, while we were driving "Bell St closed 11pm to 5am" and then the road was blocked off, at 10:10pm? (not that I knew it was blocked off) - 50 minutes early.

      I exited, at the first possible exit.
      IMO the tolls should be either turned off, or the fines and fees waved.

      I called the "linkt" service desk this morning and was clearly routed to the Philipines, the lady was nice and I was nice as could be but the conversation did not leave me with much resolution.

      P.S Bell St isn't clogged with traffic at 10:10pm on a Sunday night.

      • jv on 11/04/2022 - 08:29
        +1

        You’re only other option is to hire a lawyer and take them to court.
        There’s a good chance that you’ll win.

        • hamwhisperer on 11/04/2022 - 08:33

          I mean I won't go that far, I'll pay the $8 if I have to, but I'll maintain, I want to attempt to not pay as it's ridiculous.

          She seemed incapable of giving me a reference number for the call to try to rectify it.

      • pharkurnell on 11/04/2022 - 10:08

        EVERYONE here is tight

        No they certainly arent….

        • Sweetnsour on 11/04/2022 - 12:36

          I'm just here for the entertaining drama

        • hamwhisperer on 11/04/2022 - 13:11

          Sweet, ok well time to retire coming here then.

  • Porker on 11/04/2022 - 09:08

    Sounds like some information is missing from your post. VicRoads (Department of Transport) wouldn't just close a public road and then detour that traffic onto a private/toll road. Detours would only be approved back towards another public road under their authority.

    My guess is that there were already relevant signs displayed at the time of your driving (10pm) showing 'detour' and 'road closed ahead' but you ignored them in place for the flashing information boards saying closed '11pm to 5am'.

    Fixating on the 11pm start time doesn't mean that you can ignore the above signs (or similar) and then blame the toll road situation. It sounds like you possibly made the error (again not detouring at an early point) and drove onto the toll road. There's no reason for them to waive the fee if this is the case.

    You having already spoken to Linkt likely supports the above, because it sounds like they had no idea that a 'detour' was being included on their road. Ie. There wasn't detour route which included their toll road - why would they then need to waive a fee for your error in driving onto it?

    • jv on 11/04/2022 - 09:44

      Detours would only be approved back towards another public road under their authority.

      It seems there was a sign earlier to exit, but they closed it off almost an hour early without updating the sign…

      • hamwhisperer on 11/04/2022 - 09:44

        Absoloutely the case.

        • jv on 11/04/2022 - 09:45
          +1

          Call Vicroads and see what they say…

          If that fails, just pay the $7 and forget about it… Not worth the anxiety…

          • hamwhisperer on 11/04/2022 - 09:45

            @jv: I will, but signage should be clear "toll disabled, carry on" or some such.

    • hamwhisperer on 11/04/2022 - 09:44

      "Sounds like some information is missing from your post. VicRoads (Department of Transport) wouldn't just close a public road and then detour that traffic onto a private/toll road. Detours would only be approved back towards another public road under their authority."

      Sounds like you're wrong.
      This is absoloutely what has occurred.

      "My guess is that there were already relevant signs displayed at the time of your driving (10pm) showing 'detour' and 'road closed ahead' but you ignored them in place for the flashing information boards saying closed '11pm to 5am'."

      Incorrect. Roadworks signs ahead, slow to 40… ok sure? slow to bloody 40, no one around
      Keep doing 40,…..
      See an overhead sign, says road closed, can't exit. There's literally no where else I can go.

      "Fixating on the 11pm start time doesn't mean that you can ignore the above signs"

      Didn't
      Signs didn't exist until well after the point of no return.
      No options for u-turn (and it's generally regarded as unsafe too)

      "You having already spoken to Linkt likely supports the above, because it sounds like they had no idea that a 'detour' was being included on their road."

      Yeah nah, I spoke to a lady in the Philipines who was clueless, it took 9 mintues to clarify with her, "no I DID go on the toll road, this is due to my exit being close"

      NOTE: just to clarify, I'm speculating they were 2/3 of the way into "setting up for the nights work" and hadn't labelled stuff correctly yet. So I got stiffed.

      • Porker on 11/04/2022 - 09:55

        "..NOTE: just to clarify, I'm speculating they were 2/3 of the way into "setting up for the nights work" and hadn't labelled stuff correctly yet. So I got stiffed…"

        Possibly so - I'd say your concern is with VicRoads/DOT, as again, the detour shouldn't be directing onto toll for the reasons you've stated.

      • pharkurnell on 11/04/2022 - 10:12

        ROTFLMAO

        Its $7…

        • jv on 11/04/2022 - 10:17

          They probably saved more than that in fuel costs by using Citylink, based on current fuel prices…

          • hamwhisperer on 11/04/2022 - 10:29

            @jv: Actually no, it sent me too far south for where I live.

            • jv on 11/04/2022 - 10:41

              @hamwhisperer: Why don't you just move house?

              It might be easier…

              • hamwhisperer on 11/04/2022 - 13:12
                +1

                @jv: I mean they've messaged me on twitter and it's all golden now, thank goodness. Thread is still useful for others tho.

                FYI anyone else- just use twitter, call centre is worthless.

        • hamwhisperer on 11/04/2022 - 13:13

          Sweet, well you won't mind just randomly being charged $7 in future, gotcha.

          • pharkurnell on 11/04/2022 - 13:17

            @hamwhisperer: I wouldnt cry, stomp my feet, hold my breath, and sook about it that's for certain.

            I'm pretty @#%ing peeved to be honest

  • easternculture on 11/04/2022 - 09:50
    +4

    Very entertaining forum post
    Would be a great script for a seinfeld episode

    • jv on 11/04/2022 - 09:52
      +2

      Oh yes…

      Would you cast Kramer or George as the driver though?

      • jv on 11/04/2022 - 09:53
        +5

        I think maybe George…

        • hamwhisperer on 11/04/2022 - 10:02
          +3

          Def George

          • jv on 11/04/2022 - 10:04
            +4

            @hamwhisperer: I think I'd cast Kramer as the guy who forgot to switch the sign when the road closure commenced.

            • hamwhisperer on 11/04/2022 - 10:29
              +6

              @jv: Somehow Jerry got through without a problem just 2 minutes earlier, with his young wife.

              Elaine is dating the guy managing the entire project.

              • jv on 11/04/2022 - 10:43
                +2

                @hamwhisperer: Newman was hatching up a plot with Kramer on how to avoid Citylink tolls causing Kramer to forget to switch the sign…

            • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 11/04/2022 - 10:44
              +5

              @jv: Cast Newman as an employee for the Toll company lol

    • hamwhisperer on 11/04/2022 - 10:01
      +2

      I'm very George, I won't deny it.

  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 11/04/2022 - 10:52
    -1

    How the hell is this Linkt's fault LMAO. They didn't close the road.

  • doctordv8 on 15/04/2022 - 13:07
    -1

    I just wasted 10 minutes of my life reading this whinge.

    Have a problem, call the Authorities first, then bleat to ozBargain crowd., please.

    • hamwhisperer on 15/04/2022 - 15:03
      -2

      Then don't read it?

      Go away.

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