Govt Plans to Announce New Toll Policy Soon, Promises Discounts for Users: Gadkari says

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India] March 19: Union Road Transport and highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said in New Delhi on Wednesday that the government will shortly release a new policy for toll charges on national roads. This will give consumers an equal break.

In response to enquiries in the Rajya Sabha, the minister said that tolls are important because the government spends a lot of money on building roads.

"It is the policy of the ministry that when you want good road, you have to pay for it," Gadkari said.He said that the government would like to spend ₹3 lakh crore in Assam.

"We're adding a lot of four- and six-lane roads." From the Brahmaputra, I'm building a lot of bridges. We're getting money from the market. We can't do it without a toll, then. But even so, we are very important. The toll road only has four lanes; it doesn't have a two-lane concrete median.

The rules from 2008 say that within 60 kilometres, there can't be more than one tollbooth on the same part of the national highway going in the same direction.

"In fact, there are some exceptions." After the discussion is over, we will announce a new policy for the toll. The problem will be fixed, and we will make reasonable adjustments for the consumer. There will be no more talk about the toll in particular, he said, adding that the problems would be solved.

The National Highways Fee Rules, 2008 and every concession agreement say how all user fee parks on National Highways should be set up.

Indian tolls gave  total of ₹65,809.76 crore in 2023–24, 35% more than the previous year's total. It earned in ₹27,603 crore in 2019-20.