New Toll Rate: The Karnataka government has increased toll rates by 3-5 per cent from today i.e. Tuesday (April 1). There are a total of 66 toll plazas in the state. According to a report in ‘Deccan Herald’, the revised rates will be applicable at most toll plazas based on the concession period.
KB Jayakumar, Project Director, NHAI, Bengaluru, told Deccan Herald that the maximum increase will be 5% and the minimum 3 per cent. Radhakrishna Holla, President, Karnataka State Travel Operators Association, said that the additional charges will be passed on to the customers.
“The charges have been increased based on the wholesale price index as per 2008 rules. This is a default increase. We operate tourist cabs and taxis. We will pass on the increase to customers,” he told the newspaper.
According to reports, the plazas where toll charges will be increased include Kaniminiike and Seshagirihalli (Bengaluru-Mysore), Nangli (Bengaluru-Tirupati), Bagepalli (Bengaluru-Hyderabad), Sadahalli (Bengaluru Airport Road), and Hullikunte and Nalluru Devanahalli (Satellite Town Ring Road).
Increase in multiple parts
Travelling on highways and expressways in many parts of the country is now going to get expensive. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is going to implement a hike in toll tax from April 1. The revised rates, which will come into effect from April 1, will affect commuters and commercial operators on major routes including Lucknow Highway, Delhi-Meerut Expressway, Eastern Peripheral Expressway, NH-9 and Delhi-Jaipur Highway.
This is the second toll hike within a year. The last hike was in June 2024. NHAI has issued notifications giving details of new toll rates for various toll plazas. According to this, on highways passing through Lucknow such as Lucknow-Kanpur, Ayodhya, Rae Bareli and Barabanki, light vehicles like cars will have to pay an increase of Rs 5 to 10 per trip. While heavy vehicles will have to pay an increase of Rs 20 to Rs 25.
The Delhi-Meerut Expressway, Eastern Peripheral Expressway and NH-9 are also affected. For instance, the one-way toll for cars and jeeps going from Sarai Kale Khan to Meerut will increase from Rs 165 to Rs 170. Light commercial vehicles and buses will now have to pay Rs 275. While trucks will be charged Rs 580 per trip. The car toll at the Chhijarsi toll plaza on NH-9 will increase from Rs 170 to Rs 175, Rs 280 for light commercial vehicles and Rs 590 for buses and trucks.
The highest toll increase will be on goods carrying vehicles having more than seven axles, which will be Rs 590. Apart from this, the toll from Ghaziabad to Meerut will increase from Rs 70 to Rs 75. These rates will remain at their current level till March 31. The new rates will come into effect from the next day i.e. April 1.
At a media event, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari had said that the ministry will introduce a policy for toll charges on national highways. On March 19, Gadkari had told the Rajya Sabha that total toll collection in India will reach Rs 64,809.86 crore in 2023-24, an increase of 35% over the previous year.
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