Transurban's net profit after significant items grew 34 per cent. Credit:Justin McManus There were 697,773 CityLink fines issued and 519,369 for EastLink in 2015-16. The total number of infringements on EastLink surged 16 per cent in 2015-16, up from 447,600 the year before, with more than 71 per cent reaching the enforcement order stage. CityLink infringements increased marginally with almost 509,000 going to enforcement stage. While just under 4 per cent of Victoria's population lives in the Frankston or Cranbourne area, almost 10 per cent of CityLink and EastLink fines are issued to people in these postcodes.

Although motorists in the outer suburbs are likely to be much more dependent on toll roads, the figures illustrate how hard fines are hitting the urban fringe. Last year The Age revealed outstanding toll warrants had hit nearly $687 million for 2014-15, a 15 per cent rise on the previous year. A total of 114,022 fines for driving on a toll road without a valid pass were slapped on people living in eight postcodes in the outer suburban area in the 2015-16 financial year. The Age's analysis took in the postcodes of Seaford, Frankston, Frankston North, Carrum Downs, Langwarrin, Baxter, Mount Eliza, Skye and Cranbourne. Unsurprisingly, about two-thirds of these fines were for driving on EastLink, which ends in Frankston.

The postcodes with the most CityLink infringements last year were Craigieburn, Cranbourne, Hoppers Crossing, Point Cook and St Albans. The increase in fines comes as CityLink operator Transurban pushes to extend its toll deal as part of its proposal to build the West Gate Tunnel project. Community legal centres are now being flooded with clients struggling to cope with fines. West Justice chief executive Denis Nelthorpe said outer western suburbs hit hard by infringements were highly dependent on CityLink to reach employment and motorists struggled to pay if they hit financial trouble. Many of these suburbs were sparsely populated when the toll system was introduced under former premier Jeff Kennett, Mr Nelthorpe said.

He said regular users from the outer suburbs should be entitled to discounted rates and that overburdened courts should not have to enforce the infringements. "The courts can no longer cope," he said. He cited one case in which a woman discovered she was more than $100,000 in debt because someone had been driving a car registered in her name on a toll road without her knowledge. Attorney-General Martin Pakula said the government was overhauling the infringement system to make it easier for Victorians to manage and pay their fines. The revamp allows disadvantaged people to undertake community service or other activities if they cannot repay their debts.

"We're also working to reduce the pressure on the court system with a call centre to remind people to deal with their unpaid fines before things escalate," Mr Pakula said. Transurban insists that 99 per cent of people paid their tolls. Last month, chief executive Scott Charlton told a parliamentary inquiry there was no benefit to the company in fines progressing through the criminal justice system. "Once those people fall into the justice system or enforcement system from Transurban's perspective we don't get any money," he said. However, Mr Charlton said the company was open to working with government departments to reform the system. Transurban also offers first-time forgiveness and hardship programs.

EastLink spokesman Doug Spencer-Roy said the toll operator also did not want motorists to be fined and offered a range of payment options. The postcodes with the most EastLink infringements were Cranbourne, Frankston, Dandenong, Croydon and Pakenham.