Higher charges by toll operators on state highways of Punjab pinch commuters

Tribune News Service

Rajmeet Singh & Vijay C Roy

Chandigarh, January 11

Already burdened with a heavy vehicle registration tax, commuters plying on highways are feeling the pinch of charges at toll plazas.

Adding to their woes, the toll on the state highway is on the higher side when compared to the charges on the plazas on national highways.

Sample this: A commuter travelling by car from Chandigarh to Dasuya ends up paying Rs 531 for round trip (356 km) on the state highway. On the other hand, a round trip from Chandigarh to Amritsar (460 km) costs around Rs 500 to a commuter. Also, a round trip to Delhi from Chandigarh, costs around Rs 550 for a distance of 490 km. Travelling two way (216 km) on the Balachaur- Garhshankar- Hoshiarpur- Dasuya section of the state toll road costs Rs 273.

According to the state toll plaza policy, the minimum distance between two barriers should be 20 km, whereas it is 60 km in case of toll barriers on the national highways.

In Punjab, there are 49 toll plazas on national and state highways and the daily earning on an average is around Rs 4.30 crore. Of the total, the NHAI has 32 toll plazas and earns around Rs 3.50 crore daily. Currently, 13 toll plazas on the national highway have been shut by farm unions. While 17 state plazas earn around Rs 80 lakh on average.

“The state government is already collecting road taxes on the purchase of new vehicles, the Central Road Infrastructure Fund (CRIF) on fuel and toll. We have been demanding the removal of toll plazas, instead toll rates have been increasing every year,” said Mandeep Singh of Malout.

Commuters lament that although the government collects toll, it does not carry out periodic maintenance.

Navdeep Asija, Traffic Adviser to the state government, said the state tolls plazas were lacking on many fronts.

“Against the large infrastructure projects of the NH that envisage road widening, the state toll encompasses road widening and maintaining the same. Still, the state toll fee is higher compared to the NH toll plazas. On some of the toll roads, it is the responsibility of the toll operator to ensure safety of the commuter,” he said.

Sangrur-based activist Harpreet Singh said by bringing down a number of vehicles passing through a particular road, the income projections were manipulated. The PWD lacked robust regulatory mechanism. Some have suggested the abolition of toll on national highways. “The toll revenue is around 10-15 per cent of the total NHAI budget. We are of the view that instead of toll, the government should increase the cess on fuel. This will not burden the consumers,” said an official in NHAI.

The budgetary allocation to the NHAI for the fiscal year stands at Rs 1,34,015 crore. A majority of the ministry’s expenditure is managed through transfers from the CRIF which is levied on fuel.

No extension to Lachowal plaza

• Announcing the closure of the Lachowal toll plaza on the Hoshiarpur-Tanda road in December last year, CM Bhagwant Mann had refused to grant an extension to it as demanded by the operating company.
• He was quoted as saying that the toll operator had collected more than Rs 7 cr annually for 15 years in the name of maintenance
• The 27.9-km road was built by the government at a cost of Rs 7.76 crore and handed over to the company for maintenance in March 2007, but it failed to adhere to norms of the agreement.

Two plazas shut

• While three toll plazas on two state highways – Ludhiana-Malerkotla-Sangrur and Hoshiapur-Tanda — have been closed on the expiry of their term. The Patiala-Samana-Patran plaza (term ended on October 2022) has been given extension till February 2024.

Chd-Dasuya journey costs Rs 531

• A commuter travelling by car from Chandigarh to Dasuya ends up paying Rs 531 for round trip (356 km) on the state highway. On the other hand, a round trip to Delhi from Chandigarh, costs around Rs 550 for a distance of 490 km.

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