Travelling on national highways and expressways could become a bit more expensive from April 1 as the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is preparing to increase the toll tax, reports said on Sunday. The toll tax will increase by 5-10 per cent.
The tariff revision is an annual affair as per the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008. The proposal for revised toll rates will be sent from NHAI’s all Project Implementation Unit (PIU) by March 25, according to a report by ABP news. The new rates will be implemented from April 1 after the approval of the Ministry of Road and Transport, it added.
Cars and light vehicles will be charged an additional 5 per cent per trip and the toll tax for heavy vehicles may increase by 10 per cent.
Toll Tax Rates
In 2022, the toll tax range was hiked between 10 and 15 per cent, increasing the tariff prices of all types of vehicles plying on national highways by Rs 10 and Rs 60.
Currently, the toll tax is being collected on the expressway at Rs 2.19 per kilometre.
The 135 km long, six-lane ‘Eastern Peripheral Expressway’ and Delhi-Meerut Expressway will also witness a hike in toll rates.
Monthly Pass
The monthly pass facility, a cheaper provision given to those residing in an area of 20 kilometers of the toll plaza, will also be increased by 10 per cent, according to a report by the Mint.
According to the National Roads Fee Regulations 2008, there is no provision for exemption for people who live within a particular radius of a user fee plaza. However, a person who owns a vehicle registered for non-commercial use and lives within 20 kilometres of the charge plaza is eligible for a monthly pass at the rate of Rs 315 per month for financial year 2022-23 for unlimited travels via a fee plaza under the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection Regulations, 2008), provided a service road or alternative route is not available for usage. Moreover, this rule does not cover a closed user fee collection system.
Rise in National Highway Toll Collection
During the financial year 2022, the toll collected on National Highways was Rs 33,881.22 crore, at least 21 per cent more than the collection the previous year, data analysed by News18 showed. Since 2018-19, the amount of toll collected across national highways in the country has reported a 32 per cent rise with 1,48,405.30 crore total tariff collected.
According to the ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH), the total toll collection through FASTag on fee plazas on both national and state highways in 2022 was Rs 50,855 crore or Rs 139.32 crore per day on average. FASTag is a device that employs Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for making toll payments directly while the vehicle is in motion. FASTag (RFID Tag) is affixed on the windscreen of the vehicle and enables a customer to make the toll payments directly from the account which is linked to it.
In December last year, the Delhi High Court sought the response of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Centre to a plea challenging the rule making it compulsory for vehicles without FASTag to pay double the toll tax.
The high court had granted four weeks to the authorities to file their replies and listed the matter for further hearing on April 18.
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