Staff Reporter
Guwahati: Collecting toll fees in the toll plazas in Assam has been a thorny issue, as the condition in some stretches of the National Highways (NHs) is not up to the mark. Sometimes, disputes arise between motorists and toll plaza fee collectors, even leading to altercations between them.
However, the collection of user fees is mandatory, and the total fee collection at toll plazas in the state amounted to Rs 1875 crore from 2020-21 to February 2025. Toll fees are collected in two states, Assam and Meghalaya, in the Northeast region. During the above period, the toll fee collection in Meghalaya is Rs 448.82 crore. Currently, there is a total of 10 toll plazas on the NHs across Assam.
According to available information, in financial year 2020-21, the collection of toll fees was Rs 194.66. In 2021-22, the collection increased to Rs 299.48 crore. The toll collection in 2022-23 abruptly increased to Rs 465.90 crore. In 2023-24, the total collection of toll fees was Rs 486.49 crore. In the last financial year (2024-25), the collection was Rs 458.60 crore, until February 2025.
In Meghalaya, the toll fee collection in 2020-21 was Rs 62.91 crore, which increased to Rs 108.01 crore in the last financial year of 2024-25, until February 2025.
According to the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH), the central government notified the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates & Collection) Rules, 2008, on December 5, 2008, and the said rules, as amended from time to time, are applicable for determination of user fees for all public-funded projects and private-funded projects executed and bids invited on or after December 5, 2008. For the privately funded projects completed before December 5, 2008, the fee collection was as per the provisions of the National Highways (Collection of Fees by Any Person for the Use of Section of National Highways, Permanent Bridge, Temporary Bridge on National Highways) Rules, 1997; the National Highways (Rate of Fee) Rules, 1997; and respective Concession Agreement.
Further, while the annual base rates are uniform on all National Highways throughout the country, various factors such as lane configuration (i.e., 2-lane with paved shoulders/4 or more lanes), length of section, length of bypasses/structures/tunnels and type of vehicle (car, bus, multi-axle trucks, etc.) are considered in determining the rate of user fee at a fee plaza for use of a particular section of National Highway, in accordance with the provision of applicable NH Fee rules.
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