NH toll collection in TN up by Rs 1,100 crore in FY23
Tamil Nadu stands fifth among the user fees collected at toll plazas with Uttar Pradesh topping the list with a collection of Rs 5,583 crore.
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CHENNAI: Amid demands for their closure, toll plazas on the National Highways in Tamil Nadu collected a whopping Rs 3,817 crore in 2022-23, which is 41 per cent or Rs 1,122 crore more than Rs 2,695 crore collected in 2021-22.
According to the information shared by the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways in Rajya Sabha to a question raised by DMK MP Dr Kanimozhi NVN Somu, Tamil Nadu stands fifth among the user fees collected at toll plazas with Uttar Pradesh topping the list with a collection of Rs 5,583 crore.
As many as eight toll plazas in the State find a place in the top 100 user fees collecting plazas in the country, with L&T Krishnagiri Thopur toll plaza ranked 11th with a collection of Rs 251 crore, while the highest is by L&T Vadora in Gujarat at Rs 455 crore.
Krishnagiri plaza came second in the State with a collection of Rs 228 crore, followed by Vikkravandi (Rs 162 crore), Omalur (Rs 150 crore), IVRCL Chengapally tollways (Rs 146 crore), Nallur (Rs 134 crore), Pallikonda (Rs 133 crore) and Paranur (Rs 129 crore).
C Dhanaraj, president of the State Lorry Owners Federation (SLOF) said the Union government did not consider the State government’s demand for the closure of the five toll plazas, including Paranur, Vanagaram, Surapattu, Chennasamudram and Nemili, located within 10 km radius of corporations and municipalities and 27 other plazas located within a minimum distance of 60 km between two plazas.
“We have been urging the Centre to agree to our plea for a one-time payment or yearly payment by the truckers instead of user fee at toll plazas,” he said, adding Union minister Nitin Gadkari is proposing a GPS-based toll collection which would result in any vehicles entering a toll road to pay charges. “Now, the user fee would be collected only when the vehicle crosses the toll plaza. Once the GPS-based system is implemented, vehicles entering the toll road will be charged for distance travelled,” he added.
Barrier-less toll roads soon, says VK Singh
Commuters may no longer need to wait for even half a minute at toll booths with the government planning to roll out a barrier-less tolling system soon. “Trials are on for a barrier-less tolling system and as soon as our trials succeed, we will roll it out,” MoS for Road Transport and Highways VK Singh said on Wednesday.