Following the recommendation of a Parliamentary committee, the Central government has decided to conduct a nationwide survey to detect fake toll plazas on national highways across the country.
Following the recommendation of the Parliamentary Committee, the Central Government has decided to conduct a nationwide survey to detect fake toll plazas on national highways across the country. The purpose of this survey is to ensure legal action against fake toll plazas that are fleecing the travellers by shutting them down.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has issued an order in this regard to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and National Highways Infrastructure and Development Corporation Limited (NHAIDCL) on 10 October 2024. It states that information has been received about some anti-social elements setting up fake toll plazas in many parts of the country and collecting toll tax from the general public.
The Regional Officer (RO) and Project Director (PD) of the department should conduct an intensive survey program in their respective areas and close such fake toll plazas. For this, the department should take the help of the state government’s administration and police. The order states that the general public is being cheated by fake toll plazas and this is also causing loss of revenue.
It is worth noting that the Parliament’s Standing Committee on Tourism and Transport, in its report presented in the Parliament recently, had drawn the attention of the government towards the fake toll plazas running in the country. The committee also mentioned the collection of toll tax from road travellers by constructing a fake toll plaza in Gujarat. Apart from this, the committee has also recommended strict action against toll companies who repeatedly collect toll from road travellers above the prescribed rate.
Rs 75 crore collected on fake toll plaza in Gujarat
By constructing a fake toll plaza on National Highway No. 8A in Morbi district of Gujarat, toll tax was collected for one and a half years. During this time, anti-social elements collected Rs 75 crore as toll tax from common road travellers. On getting information about this, the local police registered an FIR against five people and arrested them and sent them to jail.
Collection is being done despite the contract ending
On the approximately 900 km long Vadodara-Mumbai National Highway, on the Bharuch section and Bharuch-Surat section, toll tax of Rs 100 is being collected despite the contract ending, whereas the government rule says that only Rs 40 tax should be collected at such plazas in the name of repair and maintenance of the highway. Sources say that this happens with the connivance of the department officials.
