'Govt collected Rs 1.44 trn toll at highway plazas under PPP since 2000'

The government has collected Rs 1.44 trillion as toll tax at fee plazas presently operational under Public Private Partnerships (PPP) model on National Highways since December 2000, Parliament was informed on Thursday.

In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari said all user fee plazas on National Highways are established as per the provision of National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008 and the respective Concession Agreement.

"Amount of 1.44 trillion rupees have been collected as user fee at fee plazas presently operational under Public Private Partnerships (PPP) model on National Highways since December, 2000," he said.

Replying to a separate question, Gadkari said the government has initiated the implementation of barrier-free tolling using available technology based electronic toll collection (ETC) system as an added facility along with FASTag.

The minister said presently, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) based tolling system is not operational anywhere on National Highways.

However, he added that amendment to the the NH Fee Rules, 2008 (dated Sep 9, 2024) has been made to enable GNSS-based tolling system through On-Board Unit (OBU) and users of vehicles not fitted with a valid, functional Global Navigation Satellite System On-Board Unit shall have to pay a fee equivalent to two times of the user fee applicable for that category of vehicle at that fee plaza in case the GNSS based tolling is made operational.

In the GNSS-based user fee collection system, toll charges shall be levied based on the actual distance travelled by a vehicle, on a National Highway or expressway in term of NH Fee Rules, 2008 and amendment thereof.

Whereas, at present, the user fee is collected at the fee plaza depending on project influence length of respective fee plaza.