Lok Sabha Question No. 983 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-02-08
Subject: Toll Collection Booths
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: OM BIRLA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 983

ANSWERED ON 8 TH  FEBRUARY, 2018

## TOLL COLLECTION BOOTHS

## 983. SHRI OM BIRLA:

## Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS lM+d ifjogu vkSj jktekxZ ea=h

be pleased to state:

(a)  the  State-wise  details  of  the number  of  Government  and  NonGovernment  Operated  Toll collection booths across various National Highways in India;

(b)  whether  the  Government acknowledges  that  there  occurs  a  huge wastage of fuel as a result of long waiting time at the toll collection booths and hence there a need for upgradation technology or abolishment of toll collection centres itself;

(c)  if so,  the  steps  taken  by  the Government for upgrading or abolishing the toll collection booths; (d)  whether  the  Government  has received any representation opposing the collection of toll by the Government toll collection booths in the National Highways, if so, the details thereof along with the action taken by  the  Government  on  the representation made; and

(e)  whether  the  Government  has conducted  any  study  of  foreign  toll collecting  systems  as  to make  travel  on highways  and  expressways  more  smooth and efficient, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## (SHRI MANSUKH L. MANDAVIYA)

(a) The state-wise  details  of  the number  of  Government  and  Non-Government  operated  Toll collection booths across various National Highways are at ' Annexure-A' .

(b)  &(c)  Electronic  Toll Collection (ETC)  system in which a FASTag is affixed on the vehicle wind screen for collection of user fee electronically is a flagship programme by the Ministry to reduce fuel consumption, travel time, waiting time at fee plazas and to provide seamless movement of traffic on

National Highways. At present, 385 fee plazas across the country have been enabled with single ETC lane  in  each  direction  of  fee  plaza.  Moreover,  it  has  been  decided  to  upgrade  the  existing  ETC infrastructure from single dedicated lane to Hybrid ETC system on all lanes of all existing & upcoming fee plazas. So far, 11,56,079 RFID tags have been issued and the average daily collection through ETC transaction has increased to Rs. 11.05 crore.

(d)  Yes,  Madam.  Government  has  received  various  representations  from  time  to  time  to  stop  the collection of user fee and also suggestions of bringing a one-time tax to replace the existing user fee collection system. However, this is not feasible because the fee for use of National Highways (NH) is not a tax.  At present, roads are being constructed and maintained  through Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode and the fund required for construction and subsequent maintenance of road in this mode is collected by charging a user fee from users of National Highways. Also, abolition of user fee will have contractual implications vis-a-vis highways developed & operated on SPV/BOT model which ultimately have a negative impact on the future investment climate in the roads sector.

(e) In a report on the review of toll policy for National Highways dated 20.05.2009, it was observed that tolling in India differs from the practices in other countries in some important aspects. In other countries, the  tolled  roads  are  normally  access  controlled  and  therefore,  toll  is  charged  on  the  basis  of  distance travelled by adopting the 'closed system' with fee plaza at every entry and exit of the tolled road. In India, the tolling is generally under the 'open system', whereby fee payable is a fixed amount which is not on the basis of distance actually travelled. In most of the countries, an alternative road (generally toll free) is available and therefore, the road user has the option not to use the tolled road.

ANNEXURE REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  OF  LOK  SABHA  UNSTARRED QUESTION  NO.  983  FOR  ANSWER  ON  08.02.2018  ASKED  BY  SHRI  OM  BIRLA REGARDING TOLL COLLECTION BOOTHS

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State-wise  details  of  the number  of  Government  and  Non-Government  operated  Fee Plazas-

| S. No.   | State          |   Number of Government operated Fee Plazas |   Number of Non-Government operated Fee Plazas |
|----------|----------------|--------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|
| 1.       | Andhra Pradesh |                                         18 |                                             16 |
| 2.       | Bihar          |                                          8 |                                              9 |
| 3.       | Chattisgarh    |                                          2 |                                              6 |
| 4.       | Gujarat        |                                         10 |                                             24 |
| 5.       | Haryana        |                                          2 |                                             17 |
| 6.       | Jammu &Kashmir |                                          5 |                                              0 |
| 7.       | Jharkhand      |                                          5 |                                              0 |
| 8.       | Karnataka      |                                          6 |                                             31 |
| 9.       | Kerala         |                                          0 |                                              3 |
| 10.      | Madhya Pradesh |                                         11 |                                             22 |
| 11.      | Maharashtra    |                                          5 |                                             38 |
| 12.      | North-East     |                                          4 |                                              0 |
| 13.      | Odisha         |                                          5 |                                              6 |
| 14.      | Punjab         |                                          3 |                                             11 |
| 15.      | Rajasthan      |                                         21 |                                             47 |
| 16.      | Tamil Nadu     |                                         15 |                                             37 |
| 17.      | Telangana      |                                          9 |                                              6 |
| 18.      | Uttar Pradesh  |                                         16 |                                             32 |
| 19.      | Uttarakhand    |                                          0 |                                              1 |
| 20.      | West Bengal    |                                          5 |                                             12 |
|          | TOTAL          |                                        150 |                                            318 |

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