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Operators’ toll fleecing NH users
Lack of proper check on the activities of concessionaires, has allowed them to collect toll tax “illegally” on National Highways still under construction. The Union Government has received complaints regarding collection of hundred per cent toll tax by private road developers on highways under construction in various States such as Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka etc.
The complaints against the toll operators on these stretch has been lodged by road users and many transport associations to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
Submitting its woes in this regard before several Parliamentarians including BJP Rajya Sabha MP Chandan Mitra, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, the All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) too in their memorandum recently stated that the road transport sector is in perils and needs focused indulgence for mitigation of toll problem both at the Central and the State level.
Even as there have been rampant complaints from road users, a top Road Transport and Highways Ministry official defending the concessionaries said the user fee (toll) is being collected by the concessionaires as per the provisions of the Concession Agreements and at the notified rates.
“However, in case of four lane sections under tolling when upgraded to six lanes or for further development on the stretch, the tolling is continued in the case of six lanes or further development as per the provisions of the NH (Fee) Rules,” said the official.
A MoRTH official said that following requests from road users not to charge user fee on two lane highways taken up for lane upgradation during the construction period, the Planning Commission has appointed National Transport Development Committee (NTDC). However, since this is at very preliminary stage, further details on this matter are yet to be obtained from the Planning Commission.
Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Jitin Prasada said in the Lok Sabha last week that to reduce the hardship of road users the Ministry had amended the NH (Fee), Rules, 2008 through a notification so that the graded increase of user fee rates will be maximum 25 per cent per year while transiting from NH (Fee) Rules, 1997 to NH (Fee) Rules, 2008.
“It is also decided that for the public funded projects, which are presently four lane highways and are being taken up as a six lane projects before taking up on BOT (toll) bidding, the transition plan from 1997 rules to 2008 rules be notified and thereafter the project be bid for which the same toll notification would apply till the completion of the construction,” Prasada said.
The National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008 was brought to improve the viability of road projects to be implemented on PPP mode by provision of an annual increase in fee. It was enforced to bring uniformity in fee rate for public funded and private investments projects. The concessionaires are reportedly now misusing the NH (Fee) Rule, 2008 which allowed levying of fee for use of a two-lane section of National Highway on which the average investment for upgradation has exceeded Rs 1 core per km.
Complaints against toll tax operators received on some of the NH sections in Gujarat (Bharuch-Surat), Rajasthan (Mahua-Jaipur) and UP (Agra & Bharatpur in Rajasthan) have also come to the fore for umpteen times during the last three-four years. Prasada said complaints have been received against the toll tax operators but those were not of overcharging but “generally misbehavior with the road users”. “The fee collecting agency has been strictly warned to be polite with the road users,” Prasada added.
Lack of proper check on the activities of concessionaires, has allowed them to collect toll tax “illegally” on National Highways still under construction. The Union Government has received complaints regarding collection of hundred per cent toll tax by private road developers on highways under construction in various States such as Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka etc.
The complaints against the toll operators on these stretch has been lodged by road users and many transport associations to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
Submitting its woes in this regard before several Parliamentarians including BJP Rajya Sabha MP Chandan Mitra, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, the All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) too in their memorandum recently stated that the road transport sector is in perils and needs focused indulgence for mitigation of toll problem both at the Central and the State level.
Even as there have been rampant complaints from road users, a top Road Transport and Highways Ministry official defending the concessionaries said the user fee (toll) is being collected by the concessionaires as per the provisions of the Concession Agreements and at the notified rates.
“However, in case of four lane sections under tolling when upgraded to six lanes or for further development on the stretch, the tolling is continued in the case of six lanes or further development as per the provisions of the NH (Fee) Rules,” said the official.
A MoRTH official said that following requests from road users not to charge user fee on two lane highways taken up for lane upgradation during the construction period, the Planning Commission has appointed National Transport Development Committee (NTDC). However, since this is at very preliminary stage, further details on this matter are yet to be obtained from the Planning Commission.
Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Jitin Prasada said in the Lok Sabha last week that to reduce the hardship of road users the Ministry had amended the NH (Fee), Rules, 2008 through a notification so that the graded increase of user fee rates will be maximum 25 per cent per year while transiting from NH (Fee) Rules, 1997 to NH (Fee) Rules, 2008.
“It is also decided that for the public funded projects, which are presently four lane highways and are being taken up as a six lane projects before taking up on BOT (toll) bidding, the transition plan from 1997 rules to 2008 rules be notified and thereafter the project be bid for which the same toll notification would apply till the completion of the construction,” Prasada said.
The National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008 was brought to improve the viability of road projects to be implemented on PPP mode by provision of an annual increase in fee. It was enforced to bring uniformity in fee rate for public funded and private investments projects. The concessionaires are reportedly now misusing the NH (Fee) Rule, 2008 which allowed levying of fee for use of a two-lane section of National Highway on which the average investment for upgradation has exceeded Rs 1 core per km.
Complaints against toll tax operators received on some of the NH sections in Gujarat (Bharuch-Surat), Rajasthan (Mahua-Jaipur) and UP (Agra & Bharatpur in Rajasthan) have also come to the fore for umpteen times during the last three-four years. Prasada said complaints have been received against the toll tax operators but those were not of overcharging but “generally misbehavior with the road users”. “The fee collecting agency has been strictly warned to be polite with the road users,” Prasada added.
