NHAI To Resume Toll Collection On National Highways From Tomorrow

The government had on March 25 announced temporarily suspending toll collection on national highways to ease emergency services because of the Coronavirus outbreak

A general view of a deserted toll plaza at Badarpur border is seen during a one-day nationwide Janata (civil) curfew imposed as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus, at Faridabad in Haryana state on March 22, 2020. - Nearly one billion people around the world were confined to their homes, as the coronavirus death toll crossed 13,000 and factories were shut in worst-hit Italy after another single-day fatalities record. (Photo by Money SHARMA / AFP)

New Delhi: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will resume toll collection on national highways from April 20 when the home ministry order describing a list of activities allowed during the lockdown will come into effect. The government had on March 25 announced temporarily suspending toll collection on national highways to ease emergency services because of the Coronavirus outbreak. The tolling operations were earlier planned to resume from April 15, a day after the end of the first phase of the lockdown. However, the lockdown was further extended till May 3. Although, the Home Ministry has given relaxations to many essential industries to commence operations from April 20. The ministry said in a letter to the NHAI, "It has been further highlighted that user fee collection contributes to the government exchequer and also provides financial strength to NHAI in terms of budgetary support,". The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways further stated in the letter to NHAI, "In view of the relaxations provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs for the inter-state and intra-state movement of all trucks and other goods or carrier vehicles and further the relaxations... NHAI should take actions necessary for compliance of the orders.. and 'tolling operations be resumed w.e.f. 20 of April 2020'." Meanwhile, the All India Motor Transport Congress has asked the Centre to reconsider the decision to start toll collection. "This is appallingly preposterous. On one hand, the Government wants the continuity of essential supplies and which our fraternity is doing against all odds and at even loss, in service of the nation," it said. Kultaran Singh Atwal the AIMTC President in a statement said, “The entire transport fraternity is financially broke and does not have finance for operations and bringing back drivers either, which is another big challenge. Yet the government instead of extending this sector a helping hand by giving a bare minimum rescue package, submitted by AIMTC, it is burdening it with toll charges that account for 20 percent of the operating costs.” He further added, "The government must reconsider its decision before putting any financial burden on this sector, which has already crumbled due to the 'Economy under lockdown". The NHAI had rolled out the electronic toll collection program across India in December on its over 500 toll plazas while doubling toll charges from the vehicles entering FASTag lanes without the tag.