NHAI: National Highways Authority of India increased toll on expressways by five percent; New rates applicable from today

Motorists using the expressway will have to pay more from Monday. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has decided to increase toll rates by an average of five percent across the country. Toll rates are revised every year on April 1. But this time the hike was postponed due to the Lok Sabha elections.

A senior NHAI official said on Sunday, the new toll rates will come into effect from June 3. The change in toll rates is part of the annual exercise to revise rates linked to changes in Wholesale Price Index (CPI) based inflation. There are about 855 toll plazas on the national highway, which are charged as per the National Highway Fee (Determination and Collection of Rates) Rules, 2008. Of these, 675 are publicly funded toll plazas. While 180 are operated by concessionaires.

After the increase in toll rates, about eight rupees more may have to be paid for the journey from Delhi to Meerut and Delhi to Hapur, while seven rupees more may have to be paid at Luharli toll between Ghaziabad and Aligarh.

Private companies are responsible for collecting tolls on the Delhi Meerut Expressway, Eastern Peripheral Expressway, Delhi-Hapur Expressway, and Ghaziabad-Aligarh Highway. According to the contract, there is a provision to increase the toll fee every year, but these companies do not have the right to decide the toll rates, rather NHAI itself decides the rates.

This much burden will be on the pocket

For a journey from Delhi (Sarai Kale Khan) to Meerut, light private vehicles have to pay a toll fee of Rs 160 for one-way travel, which may increase to Rs 168 and light commercial vehicles (LCVs) will have to pay a toll fee of Rs 262 instead of Rs 250. Similarly, the toll fee for light private vehicles from Delhi (Sarai Kale Khan) to Hapur will increase from Rs 165 to Rs 173, while light commercial vehicles (LCVs) may have to pay a toll fee of Rs 278 instead of Rs 265. At the Luharli toll between Ghaziabad and Aligarh, private vehicles have to pay Rs 140, which may increase to Rs 147. NHAI officials said that correct information about the new toll rates will be available only on June 2.