A new survey from Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) Australia has found support across the transport technology sector for a transition to road user charging.

The survey, published on 25 June, gathered views from professionals across Australia’s transport ecosystem and found that road user charging is widely viewed by respondents as necessary and desirable, particularly in relation to long-term revenue sustainability and fairness across the road network. According to ITS Australia, key themes emerging from the survey include support for staged implementation, national coordination, common standards and interoperable systems across jurisdictions.

Respondents also highlighted the need for equity considerations, particularly for regional, remote and lower-income users, as well as simplicity, transparency and privacy protections to support public trust.

The survey found support for starting with odometer-based distance charging before moving towards more advanced models.

Susan Harris, chief executive officer of ITS Australia, said the findings reflect “a clear and pragmatic consensus” across the sector. “What we’re seeing from industry is a strong alignment on both the need for reform and how to approach it,” Harris said. “There is clear support for a measured transition to road user charging – one that starts simply, prioritises fairness, and builds trust with the community through transparency and strong privacy protections.”

ITS Australia said the findings align with recent national polling by Transport Australia, which also found growing public support for moving from fuel excise to a distance-based charging model.