New Delhi, April 2 (IANS) The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has raised toll charges for motorists driving through highways and expressways across the country by an average of 4 to 5 per cent as part of the annual exercise of factoring in inflation costs.
The adjustment is part of NHAI’s annual review, which aligns toll rates with inflation based on the wholesale price index and the additional revenue will support highway upkeep and expansion projects, a senior official said.
According to the NHAI notification, the one-way toll on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway for cars and jeeps travelling from Sarai Kale Khan to Meerut will rise from Rs 165 to Rs 170, while the commute from Ghaziabad to Meerut will increase from Rs 70 to Rs 75.
Light commercial vehicles and buses on this route will have to shell out Rs 275 per trip while trucks will be charged Rs 580. At the Chhijarsi toll plaza on NH-9, tolls for cars will go up from Rs 170 to Rs 175, light commercial vehicles will pay Rs 280 while buses and trucks will have to cough up Rs 590.
Motorists travelling on highways running through Lucknow, including those linking the state capital to Kanpur, Ayodhya, Raebareli, and Barabanki, will have to pay an additional Rs 5 to 10 per trip for light vehicles, while heavy vehicles will have to shell out an extra Rs 20 to 25.
The monthly pass for cars will go up from Rs 930 to Rs 950, while for cabs the amount will increase from Rs 1225 to Rs 1255. Single-trip tolls for light motor vehicles and minibuses will increase from Rs 120 to Rs 125.
On the Delhi-Jaipur Highway, at the Kherki Daula toll plaza, tolls for private cars and jeeps will stay the same, but larger vehicles will see an increase of Rs 5 per trip. The monthly pass for cars will rise from Rs 930 to Rs 950, and for commercial cars and jeeps, it will go from Rs 1225 to Rs 1255. Single-trip tolls for light motor vehicles and minibuses will increase from Rs 120 to Rs 125.
There are around 855 plazas on the India’s national highway network out of which 675 are government-funded, while another 180 or so are managed by private operators.
–IANS
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