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The Hindu
01-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Hindu
Toll hiked on Bengaluru–Nelamangala section of NH4, irked commuters call it ‘unfair'
Starting July 1, commuters travelling on the Bengaluru–Nelamangala section of National Highway-4 (NH-4) will pay revised toll fees, according to a public notice issued by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). The Tumakuru road stretch is a key route for traffic entering and exiting Bengaluru, particularly from the north and northwest. The new tariff structure applies to the 19.5 km access-controlled stretch between 10 km and 29.500 km. The revised toll rates will be applicable at six different plazas along this route. These include plazas located at 14.875 km (towards Nelamangala), 26.075 km (towards Bengaluru), and others at 16.600 km, 17.100 km, 23.150 km, and 23.800 km, catering to vehicles entering from peripheral and service roads. As per the notification, cars and jeeps will be charged ₹30 for a single trip, ₹45 for a round trip, and ₹865 for a monthly pass. Light commercial vehicles (LCVs) and mini buses will pay ₹50 for a single journey, ₹75 for a round trip, and ₹1,440 for a monthly pass. For buses and trucks, the toll has been fixed at ₹100 for a one-way trip, ₹150 for a return, and ₹2,955 for a monthly pass. Meanwhile, earthmoving equipment and heavy construction machinery will be charged the highest — ₹160 for a single journey, ₹240 for a round trip, and ₹4,760 for a monthly pass. Several concessions have been announced by NHAI. Officials said that a 25% discount will be offered on return journeys completed within 24 hours, while a 33% discount applies if 50 single journeys are made in a month. Additionally, commercial vehicles registered in the district (except those under National Permit) will receive a 50% discount. The toll policy continues to enforce strict penalties on overloaded vehicles, which will be charged 10 times the regular toll rate along with being required to offload excess cargo. Type of vehicle Single Trip Round Trip Monthly Pass Car/Jeep ₹30 ₹45 ₹865 LCV/Mini Bus ₹50 ₹75 ₹1440 Bus/Truck ₹100 ₹150 ₹2955 Earthmoving equipment and heavy construction machinery ₹160 ₹240 ₹4760 Source: NHAI public notice Toll hike based on the Wholesale Price Index Beginning July 1, toll rates on other key stretches in the city, including the NICE Road and the Bengaluru Elevated Tollway from Central Silk Board to Electronics City and further towards Attibele, near the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border, have also been revised. The hike is based on the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) as of March 31, 2025, which allows for annual adjustments to ensure the financial sustainability and proper upkeep of road infrastructure, according to officials. 'The recent toll revision is in line with the annual adjustment allowed under the National Highways Fee Rules, which are based on the WPI. The revision helps ensure continued maintenance and financial viability of road infrastructure,' said a senior official from NHAI. 'The WPI-based adjustment is calculated as of March 31, but the effective implementation can vary depending on the time taken for approvals and notifications. In some stretches, it happens on April 1, while in others like this year's Bengaluru-Nelamangala and Electronics City, it's taken effect from July 1,' the official explained. Remove tolls on smaller roads Meanwhile, Radhakrishna Holla, president of the Karnataka State Travel Operators Association, said the toll hike will place an added burden on daily commuters, particularly commercial operators such as taxis, lorries, and trucks. 'This increase in toll rates directly impacts daily commuters and hits the commercial transport sector the hardest. Taxi operators, truckers, and logistics providers are already dealing with high fuel prices; this will only add to their operational costs,' Mr. Holla added. Mr. Holla also urged the government to reconsider toll collection on shorter or less busy four-lane roads, especially where the construction costs have already been recovered. He pointed out that tolling on such stretches disproportionately affects local commuters and small operators. 'There is no justification for continuing toll collection on smaller stretches or four-lane roads where the project cost has already been recovered. The government must review and remove tolls on such roads to ease the burden. Rationalising tolls would be a step towards more equitable and efficient road usage,' Mr. Holla said. Commuters say toll rise adds to daily burden Daily commuters and small transport operators have voiced frustration over the latest toll hike saying it adds to their mounting travel and operational expenses. Shivakumar R., a supervisor in a garment factory who commutes daily from Nelamangala to Peenya said, 'We already spend a lot on fuel and essentials. Now with the toll hike, even daily travel to work becomes more expensive. For people like us who don't earn much, every rupee counts. This hike feels unfair, especially when there's no improvement in traffic or road conditions on the Bengaluru and Tumakuru stretch.' Manjunath Hegde, a small-scale transporter operating goods vehicles between Bengaluru and Tumakuru said, 'The toll keeps going up every year, but our income doesn't. We use this route regularly, and each increase directly cuts into our margins. The government should understand that not all users are big transporters, many of us are small operators trying to stay afloat.'
Time of India
27-06-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Toll on flyover-heavy highways to be slashed by half, capped at 5x base rate, ET Infra
Toll formula reworked for urban highways Advt Impact expected on urban ring roads, commercial vehicles By , ETInfra Join the community of 2M+ industry professionals. Subscribe to Newsletter to get latest insights & analysis in your inbox. Get updates on your preferred social platform Follow us for the latest news, insider access to events and more. In a move set to impact toll rates on highway stretches with a high share of elevated structures, the road transport ministry has approved a change in toll calculation norms . As per a report by Times of India, the revised formula, which will be notified shortly, reduces the toll rate for stretches comprising over 50 per cent structures such as flyovers, underpasses and as per the National Highways Fee Rules, users pay ten times the regular toll for every kilometre of elevated road or tunnel. This was meant to offset higher construction costs associated with such infrastructure. The revised structure halves the toll rate for such stretches and sets a cap at five times the normal official explained that under the current norm, a one-way car trip on the 28.5-km Dwarka Expressway — with 21 km of elevated sections — costs ₹317 as per the current norm (₹306 for the elevated portion and ₹11 for the remaining 7 km). With the new norm, this cost is expected to fall to around ₹ new rates are likely to benefit users of highways linking neighbouring cities, urban bypasses and ring roads, particularly those built by the central government, such as the Dwarka Expressway in noted that while private car users opting for the upcoming Annual Toll Pass scheme may not experience a significant change, commercial and heavy vehicles are expected to benefit from the revised rates.
Time of India
27-06-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Toll tax to be cut 50% on these highways: Road ministry approves big change in toll rules for expressways and highways
In a move to reduce travel costs for highway users, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has approved a major revision in toll charges for roads with significant elevated structures. Under the new rules, stretches where structures like flyovers, underpasses, and tunnels account for more than half the total length will see tolls halved. The toll cap for such sections will now be five times the standard rate, down from the existing ten times, a TOI report by Dipak K Dash stated. Highway commuters may see big savings Explaining the change, a senior official told TOI that a one-way car trip on the 28.5-km Dwarka Expressway currently costs Rs 317. Of this, Rs 306 is for the elevated section. 'With the revised toll norms, this cost is expected to fall to around Rs 153, offering substantial savings for commuters,' the official stated. Old rules charged 10x for structured sections According to the current National Highways Fee Rules, the toll for each kilometre of an elevated structure is calculated at ten times the standard highway rate. This higher multiplier accounts for the higher construction cost of such infrastructure. The new policy brings this down to five times the base toll rate for stretches where more than 50% of the road is made up of such structures. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Installing Solar Panels in Bangladesh Might Be Cheaper Then You Think Search | Solar Panels Undo Formal notification expected soon The ministry is expected to officially notify the decision in the coming days. The revised toll calculation is aimed at commuters using corridors like urban bypasses, ring roads, and intercity connectors, where elevated sections form a large part of the road length. These corridors are more expensive to build and have until now carried higher toll charges. Commercial vehicles to benefit more Officials said the revised toll structure may not significantly affect private vehicle owners who opt for the proposed annual toll pass scheme. However, the impact will be more visible for commercial and heavy vehicles that use such stretches regularly. Live Events Toll rationalisation part of larger road policy reform The new measure is part of a broader effort by the government to streamline toll policies and make road use more affordable and efficient, especially in dense urban and peri-urban areas with high vehicle movement. How tolls are calculated As per the 2008 National Highways Fee Rules, tolls for a section of a four-lane or wider national highway are calculated using the formula: Toll = Length of section (km) × Base rate per km The base rate from 2007–08 is used as the reference and is revised every year on April 1. The toll multipliers vary based on the type of road and infrastructure.
Time of India
07-06-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Karnataka high court calls for review of law for clearer classification of vehicles
Bengaluru: The high court has called for a review of the Motor Vehicles (MV) Act, 1988, to address ambiguities in vehicle classifications. Justice M Nagaprasanna, while dismissing a petition filed by the Karavali Bus Owners Association, suggested that the union surface transport ministry revisit and clarify existing definitions in the backdrop of modern vehicular categories and toll collection complexities. The petitioners, who operate stage carriages in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, had challenged toll charges levied at the Hejamadi and Sastana toll plazas. They argued that their vehicles, which have gross weights between 7,500kg and 12,000kg, should be categorised as minibuses and not as full-sized buses. As per the concession agreement, minibuses attract tolls at 50% of the rate applicable to buses. The petitioners also raised concerns over the deduction of additional amounts from their FASTag accounts by Udupi Sasthana Tollway Pvt Ltd through a "chargeback process." Their previous representation to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) against the alleged excess toll collection was rejected. Justice Nagaprasanna noted that vehicles below 7,500kg are categorised as light motor vehicles and those above 12,000 kg as heavy passenger vehicles. However, the classification of vehicles weighing between 7,501kg and 12,000kg—often referred to as medium passenger vehicles—remains unclear, particularly when they are described as "buses" for toll purposes. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Top 5 Wealth Management Firms in The United States SmartAsset Learn More Undo The court clarified that tolls are governed by the National Highways Fee Rules and the terms of concession agreements, not by the MV Act alone. Concluding that the deductions were lawful and aligned with the registration certificates and relevant rules, the court dismissed the petition but emphasised the need for legislative clarity on vehicle categorisation. ——————— Blurb Justice Nagaprasanna said the classification of vehicles weighing between 7,501kg and 12,000kg, often referred to as medium passenger vehicles, remains unclear, particularly when they are described as buses for toll purposes
