Toll tax hiked by 5% in India; Raha commuters react

Raha, June 3: With the conclusion of Lok Sabha elections in 2024, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has announced an average hike of 5 percent in the toll tax across the country, with effect from June 3.The toll tax in the country is revised annually in line with inflation; however, this year’s annual increase was put on hold due to general elections.A senior official at the NHAI was quoted by Reuters as saying, “As the election process is over, the revision of user fee rates, which was put on hold during the elections, would become effective from June 3.”Meanwhile, commuters using the Guwahati-Nagaon four-lane highway and residents living around Raha toll plaza expressed their anger over the decision to increase toll fees announced by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) at midnight on Sunday.Different organisations like AASU, AJYCP, KMSS, and residents of Raha have complained that they are forced to pay Rs. 120 just for entering and exiting their homes. They also criticised the NHAI for failing to develop the poor condition of service roads along the four-lane highway, which are often inundated after a brief spell of rain at Raha. The residents and organisations further accused the NHAI that instead of developing the infrastructure of the Raha toll plaza, the highway authority has increased the toll fees, which will adversely impact commuters.When contacted, Raha toll plaza authority said that they have nothing to do over the toll fee hike as it was directed to collect the revised fee by NHAI in a letter issued on March 29 this year for the financial year 2024-2025.The present toll fee charged at Raha toll plaza for one way and two ways is Rs 115 and Rs 170 for light motor vehicles, which will be now Rs 120 and Rs 175. For light commercial vehicles it will be Rs 195 for one way and Rs 285 for two ways respectively. Similarly, passengers carrying buses and trucks will have to pay Rs 400 for one way and Rs 595 for two ways, according to the new fee hike. A three-axle commercial vehicle will now cost Rs. 435 for a single and Rs. 650 for the return journey.On the other hand, the facility of a monthly pass that is given to the people for their non-commercial vehicles living in the area of 20 kilometres of the toll plaza will be Rs. 340.When asked, an NHAI senior official who requested anonymity said, “As per the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008, the fee rates are to be revised every year with effect from April 1. Policy decisions on specific toll issues are being taken from time to time depending upon requirements, he said, further adding that there shouldn’t be any protests over the subject.”