More than 100 toll plazas on National Highways are within 60 km of another toll plaza

Do you know that a toll plaza in Gujarat is just 1.2 km away from another toll plaza? There are more than 100 toll plazas in the country that are within 60 km of another toll plaza.   

The government has been earning close to Rs 7000 crore in each of the last two financial years through user fee at toll plazas on various national highways. As per the data shared by the government in the Lok Sabha, more than 100 toll plazas are within 60 km of another toll plaza.

What is the significance of 60km?

 As per Sec 8(2) of the National Highways Fee (Determination of rates and collection) Rules, 2008, a toll plaza cannot be established in the same direction within 60km of another toll plaza. But there are the following exceptions to this rule.

• If the executing authority feels it is necessary, it can establish or allow the concessionaire to establish another toll plaza within a distance of 60 km after recording the reasons in writing.
• A toll plaza can also be established within a distance of 60 km from another toll plaza if such toll plaza is for the purpose of collection of fee for a permanent bridge, bypass or tunnel.

And as per government data, more than 25% of all the toll plazas on national highways are within 60 km because of these exceptions.

22 toll plazas within 30 km of another toll plaza

Among the 130 toll plazas that are within 60 km of another toll plaza, five are within 5km of another toll plaza. 22 toll plazas are within 30 km of another toll plaza. 63 toll plazas are within 50-60 km of another toll plaza. Most such toll plazas (34) are within 50-55 km of another toll plaza.

Most such toll plazas in the Lucknow region

Among the various regions, the Lucknow region has 21 such toll plazas followed by the Jaipur region with 19 and the Mumbai region with 16. Among the 23 regional offices of the National Highways, 15 of them have at least one toll plaza within 60 km of another toll plaza. Nagpur and Guwahati regions have only one such toll plaza each. Six different regions have 10 or more such toll plazas each.

A toll plaza in Gujarat is just 1.2km away from another toll plaza

Among the various regions, the Jaipur region has 8 such toll plazas with 35 km of another toll plaza. Among the 5 toll plazas that are within 5 km of another toll plaza, one each is in the Nagpur, Kolkata & Gujarat region while the rest two are in the jaipur region. In fact, a toll plaza on the Ahmedabad – Vadodara section is just 1.2 km away from another toll plaza.

More than 70% of these toll plazas are on highways either built or operated by private players while the rest are on publicly funded part of the national highways.