In what will come as a major respite to commuters on National Highways, the government today said it proposes to change the toll collection policy and henceforth the same would be collected only after completion of the project.
At present, the collection of toll starts after a project is 75 per cent complete.
"The policy of Road Toll Collection is proposed to be changed in a way that such a collection will only be made after 100 per cent completion of the project instead of 75 per cent completion as it was being done now," Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari told the Lok Sabha.
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As per an official statement by the ministry, he also said the toll collection will be stopped after the cost of the project is recovered.
Gadkari said the toll collection was less than expected due to slow down of economy.
"The revenue share of NHAI is about Rs 6,000 crore now and it is expected to reach Rs 8,000 crore with the recovery of the economy," he added.
The Minister also said that he has held discussions with financial institutions to fund road projects which they are reluctant to as there are huge NPAs in the sector.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to discuss the issue with financial institutions to restore their confidence to fund road projects, the statement added.
In reply to another question, Gadkari said that his ministry has allocated Rs 15,000 crore for the North Eastern region for putting in place a well maintained road network.
The Minister said that the quality of roads could also improve as the ministry is looking into the prospects of building cement roads.
