Uniform toll rates to be put on track

The government is working towards introducing uniform toll rates across the country. The government feels that at present there is a wide disparity between toll rates in the public funded and the private road projects.

Also, toll rates vary in different states. For instance, in certain states it is on per-kilometre basis while some toll policies do not have any relation to distance travelled.

"We have received representations from private players about wide variations in toll rates across states," a road transport and highway department official said, adding that a formula was being worked out to bring in parity.

An industry official said private operators were allowed to charge without following the per-kilometre norm on the Delhi-Gurgaon tollway, on the account of high project costs.

In case of rate revision, too, the practices vary in each state and the road transport and highways department plans to revise the toll rates annually.

Officials said currently, the norm set by the National Highway Authority of India was to review the rates every five years. This practice, too, varied between states.

For instance, there had been many projects where the state government had allowed the operator to revise rates after two years, a company executive pointed out.

Department officials said the proposal for the revision had been put before a committee of secretaries (CoS). The CoS was set up this year to resolve the inter-ministerial problems faced in the construction of roads. Even the state chief secretaries will be invited in the committee for discussing various issues.

During its last meeting in April, the CoS managed to convince the Haryana government to grant a state support agreement for the Delhi-Gurgaon expressway. Lack of an agreement had earlier delayed the project for more than a year.

Other issues that are being considered by the CoS include setting up of a safety commissionerate in the ministry. This body is expected to lay down safety norms.

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One for the road

At present, there is a wide disparity between toll rates in the government-funded and the private road projects

Toll rates vary in different states

Rate revision practices also vary in each state

Other issues that are being considered include setting up of a safety commissionerate