GOVT CONSIDERS NEW TOLL PLAN
NEW DELHI: The government is working on a policy that would allow commuters to be charged only for the distance travelled on a toll road. Currently, commuters pay a fixed fee usually for the entire toll road, irrespective of whether they use all or a part of it. Under a so-called “open toll policy”, the fee payable is a fixed amount based on the length of stretch under one project, which is normally 60km.
The new “closed toll policy” being worked upon by the road transport and highways ministry will allow commuters to be charged on a per kilometre basis for the distance they travel. The policy will be applicable to all access-controlled highways (preventing free access from all sides) and expressways in the country.
The move comes at a time when toll rates on the national highways have been rising substantially Toll fee on a highway stretch is revised every year and the new fee calculated is rounded off to the nearest ₹5.
The plan will be operationalised first on the new 135km Eastern Peripheral Expressway which would cover Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, bypassing Delhi. The ₹7,000-crore expressway is aimed at reducing traffic in Delhi by providing an alternative route to vehicular traffic not headed into in the national capital.
“The first expressway/highway where the closed toll policy will be implemented is the Eastern Peripheral Express which will be inaugurated this year,” said a senior government official requesting anonymity.
During the India Integrated Transport and Logistics Summit last week, minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari had hinted that his ministry was working on a “pay per km” project.
The move assumes significance given the government’s plan to develop 40 economic corridors spanning 21,000km of roads, entailing an investment of ₹3 lakh crore. The total road length to be developed as expressways under the government’s Bharat Mala project is around 51,000km.
India had 362 toll plazas under National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) overseeing 18,807km of roads until 2015-16. They generated a revenue of ₹17,250 crore. The government plans to increase the length of National Highways to 200,000km from 96,000km by 2019.
“The government already has a policy on how much to be charged per km on a toll road. The same rate card will be applicable on closed toll policy too. The only difference would be the km travelled will be measured and charged from commuter based on from where he entered on the toll road and where he exited. The cue has been taken from overseas,” added the official mentioned above.