Close toll plaza and charge one time registration fee

With a proposal to close all toll plazas and collect a one-time common registration fee for the maintenance of national highways and related infrastructure, DMK MP P. Wilson will move the motion in the Rajya Sabha today. The proposal states that there are a total of 983 toll plazas in India and the total toll fee collection in 2023-24 will be Rs 55,844 crore.

Due to increase in the number of toll plazas and increase in toll fees, there is a financial burden on the citizens. Under Section-8 of the National Highways Act, 1956, contracts are entered into with private concessioners for the collection of toll fees and maintenance of National Highways including bridges-tunnels. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has decided to close toll plazas across the country and amend the National Highways Act, 1956. Consider canceling all concession agreements and charging a one-time common registration fee, which Can be used for maintenance of national highways. Wilson also said in the motion that the government’s policy of having only one toll plaza every 60 km on the national highway and closing any additional toll plazas within 60 km within three months is still not being implemented. The government should prepare a time bound action plan to close all toll plazas within 60 km of each toll plaza. Wilson was of the view that toll plazas are one of the main sources of traffic bottlenecks, leading to long queues of vehicles at toll plazas, resulting in significant travel time and wastage of fuel. This has negative impacts on the environment and public health.