New Delhi: India is set to raise road toll charges nationwide by 3-5% beginning Monday, officials announced. This adjustment follows the postponement of the annual increase in April due to the country’s general elections.
Toll charges in India undergo an annual revision in accordance with inflation rates. Notices published in local newspapers by highway operators indicate a hike of 3% to 5% at approximately 1,100 toll plazas effective from Monday.
As per a report from the international news agency Reuters, a senior official at the National Highways Authority of India stated, “As the election process is over, the revision of user fee (toll) rates, which was put on hold during the elections, would become effective from June 3.”
While toll charge hikes and fuel taxation contribute to funding the expansion of national highways, opposition parties and many motorists criticize the annual increases. They argue that these raises escalate transportation costs for essential goods and impose a burden on commuters.
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Major operators like IRB Infrastructure Developers and Ashok Buildcon Ltd stand to benefit from the toll increases.
Over the past decade, India has invested billions of dollars in expanding its national highways, which now span approximately 146,000 kilometers, constituting the second-largest global road network.
Toll collections surged to over 540 billion rupees ($6.5 billion) in the fiscal year 2022/23 from 252 billion rupees in 2018/19. This increase can be attributed to the growth in road traffic, expansion of toll plazas, and adjustment in charges.
India’s general election concluded on Saturday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led alliance projected to secure a significant majority, as indicated by TV exit polls.
