Driver receives hefty $2,710 fine over 'confusing' signs in controversial motorway
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The M4 Motorway in Sydney, one of Australia's busiest roads, has become a hotbed for controversy.
Hundreds of drivers have been caught by a 'sneaky' speed camera in its infamous 'nightmare' speed limit zone.
The result? A flurry of hefty fines, including one motorist who was slapped with a whopping $2,710 penalty.
Fayaz Khan, the unfortunate recipient of this hefty fine, was driving through the M4 East Tunnel at around 7 pm last November 15 when he was caught travelling at 64km/h in a temporary 40km/h zone.
The speed limit had been reduced due to a broken-down car in the left lane, causing traffic to merge into the middle and right lanes.
However, the reduced speed limit was enforced for over a kilometre after the obstruction, leading many drivers, including Khan, to accelerate, believing they were clear of the restricted zone.
'They were just towing one little car…but when [drivers] drove past [the tow trucks], the 40 sign [was left] on until after the [speed] cameras,' he said.
'We slowed down to 60 and then 40 for the incident, and once we passed the incident, the 40 [zone] should have been abolished.'
Khan, who runs a rental car business, was driving a white Audi sedan registered as a hire car at the time of the incident.
This resulted in his fine being five times the normal amount due to the vehicle being registered to a company.
Khan plans to contest the fine in court and has even considered forming a class action with other drivers who were also fined.
The incident has sparked a debate about the fairness and clarity of variable speed limits in the M4 East Tunnel.
Khan argued that the speed limit changes are confusing and can lead to accidents.
He also criticised the extension of the 40km/h zone well past the location of the incident, calling it 'unnecessary'.
'If you're driving [on the] M4 when you're approaching Parramatta, the speed changes three times,' Khan said.
'You don't want to cause accidents... that's what this [variable speed limit] does.'
This incident is not an isolated one. Several motorists have been hit with hefty fines recently while driving in the tunnel, unaware they were clocked going above the variable speed limit.
A week after Khan was booked, his friend was fined for a similar infringement after being caught driving 56km/h in a 40km/h zone in the tunnel.
In 2019, an Uber driver was hit with a $481 fine after being caught going 72km/h in the same zone. He also sustained four demerit points from the incident.
A spokesperson from Transport for NSW said that several signs had already been installed along the motorway to inform the drivers of the changes in speed limits.
'Transport for NSW has measures in place to ensure motorists are aware variable speed limits are enforced in the tunnels, through the use of advisory signs such as “Speed camera ahead in tunnel” and “Variable speed limit enforced”,' the spokesperson said.
'[There are also] illuminated, electronic variable speed limit signs which display the current speed limit, throughout the tunnels.'
It is understood that the speed limits are shown through electronic signs along the motorway with the speed limit inside a red circle.
Drivers who are caught going more than 20km/h above the limit are subject to a $542 fine, while drivers in NSW can be fined a maximum of $2,794 if they go 45km/h or more on roads in NSW, including tunnels and motorways.
The M4 East Tunnel is part of the $16.8 billion WestConnex road and tunnel project introduced by the NSW government to reduce traffic from Sydney's West to the East.
The tunnel, which opened in July 2019, connects the M4 in Sydney's West, including Parramatta, to the city's East, saving drivers more than half an hour in travel time.
However, the latest figures from Revenue NSW show more than 4,800 fines were handed to motorists caught speeding in the M4 East Tunnel heading eastbound, totalling more than $2.3 million.
More than 2,400 drivers were fined in August alone, amounting to about $1.3 million in penalties.
What are your thoughts on this issue? Have you been caught out by a speed camera in a similar situation? Share your experience with us in the comments below.
Hundreds of drivers have been caught by a 'sneaky' speed camera in its infamous 'nightmare' speed limit zone.
The result? A flurry of hefty fines, including one motorist who was slapped with a whopping $2,710 penalty.
Fayaz Khan, the unfortunate recipient of this hefty fine, was driving through the M4 East Tunnel at around 7 pm last November 15 when he was caught travelling at 64km/h in a temporary 40km/h zone.
The speed limit had been reduced due to a broken-down car in the left lane, causing traffic to merge into the middle and right lanes.
A driver received a hefty fine of $2,710 while driving along Sydney’s M4 Motorway. Image source: Freepik.
However, the reduced speed limit was enforced for over a kilometre after the obstruction, leading many drivers, including Khan, to accelerate, believing they were clear of the restricted zone.
'They were just towing one little car…but when [drivers] drove past [the tow trucks], the 40 sign [was left] on until after the [speed] cameras,' he said.
'We slowed down to 60 and then 40 for the incident, and once we passed the incident, the 40 [zone] should have been abolished.'
Khan, who runs a rental car business, was driving a white Audi sedan registered as a hire car at the time of the incident.
This resulted in his fine being five times the normal amount due to the vehicle being registered to a company.
Khan plans to contest the fine in court and has even considered forming a class action with other drivers who were also fined.
The incident has sparked a debate about the fairness and clarity of variable speed limits in the M4 East Tunnel.
Khan argued that the speed limit changes are confusing and can lead to accidents.
He also criticised the extension of the 40km/h zone well past the location of the incident, calling it 'unnecessary'.
'If you're driving [on the] M4 when you're approaching Parramatta, the speed changes three times,' Khan said.
'You don't want to cause accidents... that's what this [variable speed limit] does.'
This incident is not an isolated one. Several motorists have been hit with hefty fines recently while driving in the tunnel, unaware they were clocked going above the variable speed limit.
A week after Khan was booked, his friend was fined for a similar infringement after being caught driving 56km/h in a 40km/h zone in the tunnel.
In 2019, an Uber driver was hit with a $481 fine after being caught going 72km/h in the same zone. He also sustained four demerit points from the incident.
A spokesperson from Transport for NSW said that several signs had already been installed along the motorway to inform the drivers of the changes in speed limits.
'Transport for NSW has measures in place to ensure motorists are aware variable speed limits are enforced in the tunnels, through the use of advisory signs such as “Speed camera ahead in tunnel” and “Variable speed limit enforced”,' the spokesperson said.
'[There are also] illuminated, electronic variable speed limit signs which display the current speed limit, throughout the tunnels.'
It is understood that the speed limits are shown through electronic signs along the motorway with the speed limit inside a red circle.
Drivers who are caught going more than 20km/h above the limit are subject to a $542 fine, while drivers in NSW can be fined a maximum of $2,794 if they go 45km/h or more on roads in NSW, including tunnels and motorways.
The M4 East Tunnel is part of the $16.8 billion WestConnex road and tunnel project introduced by the NSW government to reduce traffic from Sydney's West to the East.
The tunnel, which opened in July 2019, connects the M4 in Sydney's West, including Parramatta, to the city's East, saving drivers more than half an hour in travel time.
However, the latest figures from Revenue NSW show more than 4,800 fines were handed to motorists caught speeding in the M4 East Tunnel heading eastbound, totalling more than $2.3 million.
More than 2,400 drivers were fined in August alone, amounting to about $1.3 million in penalties.
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