The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has announced an increase in toll tax rates nationwide. Starting from today, drivers will be required to pay 5 percent more toll tax at all toll plazas. Initially scheduled for implementation on April 1 as part of the annual amendment, this hike was delayed due to the Lok Sabha elections.What NHAI official said A senior NHAI official confirmed that the new rates will take effect from June 3, 2024. He explained that adjusting toll fees is a routine annual process, tied to changes in inflation based on the wholesale price index. Currently, there are approximately 855 user fee-based plazas on the National Highway network, where toll fees are imposed in accordance with the National Highway Fee Rules 2008. Among these, around 675 are publicly funded, while 180 are managed by concessionaires.Toll rates will witness 3 to 5 percent increaseAccording to Reuters, an NHAI official stated that toll rates will witness a 3 to 5 percent increase starting Monday, June 3, 2024. The adjustment in user fees had been deferred during the election period, but now that the elections have concluded, the revised rates will be enforced.Its important to note that toll tax is a charge levied on drivers when traversing interstate expressways, national, and state highways, overseen by NHAI. However, two-wheeler drivers are exempt from paying toll fees. Opposition parties and many motorists have voiced objections to the annual toll rate hikes, citing increased transportation costs for essential commodities and added burden on commuters.
