Motorway tolls trial proposed for WestConnex THE new WestConnex motorway could have "time of day tolling" as well as distance based tolling, a parliamentary inquiry heard yesterday. Transport expert David Hensher, who is advising the government on the project, confirmed time of day tolling was being considered as part of a trial on the new roadway. Mr Hensher said time of day tolling was the most effective way to combat congestion, but said it had been applied poorly in Sydney in the past. He said Sydneysiders had to stop thinking of time of day tolling as a "congestion tax" and view it as a means to increase productivity. He said current time of day tolling on the Sydney Harbour Bridge did not work because there was not a sufficient gap between the highest and lowest toll price. Roads Minister Duncan Gay has previously described time of day tolling as "unfair," calling it a "congestion tax." But Mr Hensher said it would be advisable to trial time of day tolling on the WestConnex, at the same time as distance-based tolls, with three different tolling levels - peak, shoulder and off-peak. "The peak is spreading," Mr Hensher said, suggesting that more than two pricing levels were necessary on the new road.