The Melbourne City Link Act 1995 is to be amended to provide for fines of up to $10,000 for any unauthorised use of personal information in City Link tolling records.

The Act currently prohibits City Link developer Transurban and its agents from disclosing such information; these prohibitions now apply to all persons. Police access will be limited only to enforcement of the criminal law for the investigation and prosecution of indictable offences. Information will not be available for the following-up of minor traffic offences.

Penalties have also been introduced for failing to be in possession of a valid City Link tolling tag.  This penalty, to be paid upon the issue of an infringement notice, will be set at $25 in the initial months following the opening of the Western Link (Tullamarine to West Gate Freeways) in 1999, to rise to $100 thereafter.

The privately operated tollway will contain no toll booths or boom gates; driver information will be recorded from electronic ‘e-TAGs’ in each car, which will be read by overhead scanners. Regular users may open pre-paid accounts with Transurban whilst less frequent users may purchase day passes over the phone or at post offices.