New toll charges on highways to return into impact after upcoming Lok Sabha elections – India TV

The Election Fee of India (ECI) has instructed the Nationwide Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to proceed with the calculation of recent consumer charge (toll) charges on highways as per their annual schedule, sometimes commencing from April 1 annually. Nonetheless, the EC has stipulated that the implementation of those new charges must be postponed till after the Lok Sabha elections.

EC points directives to state-owned NHAI

As per paperwork obtained by the information company PTI, the EC’s directive to NHAI is available in response to a request from the Minister of Street Transport and Highways. The scheduled annual adjustment of toll charges, anticipated to see a median enhance of 5 per cent, was slated to take impact on April 1 for almost all of tolled highways and expressway sections nationwide.

“The method required for the choice on the facility tariff could also be continued by the State Electrical energy Regulatory Fee. Nonetheless, tariff award shall be made solely on the completion of the ballot within the related state, i.e. after the ballot date/dates within the state. In respect of the clarification sought, it’s acknowledged that consumer charge could also be seen within the context of the facility tariff as talked about within the Fee’s instruction cited above,” the ECI mentioned in a communication to the highway ministry on April 1, 2024.

In response to a senior NHAI official, the change in toll charge is a part of an annual train to revise the charges which are linked to the modifications within the wholesale value index-based inflation.

Greater than 850 consumer charge plazas

The elections for the 18th Lok Sabha will start on April 19 adopted by subsequent phases on April 26, Could 7, Could 13, Could 20, Could 25, and June 1. The counting of votes is on June 4. There are round 855 consumer charge plazas on the nationwide freeway community on which consumer charge is levied as per Nationwide Highways Payment (Dedication of Charges and Assortment) Guidelines, 2008. Out of those, round 675 are public-funded charge plazas and 180 are concessionaire-operated toll plazas.

(With PTI inputs)

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