Lok Sabha Question No. 2862 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-08-08
Subject: Toll Collection Operations
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: Shri K C Venugopal, Smt. Geniben Nagaji Thakor

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2862 ANSWERED ON 8 th  AUGUST, 2024

## TOLL COLLECTION OPERATIONS

2862. SHRI K C VENUGOPAL:

SMT. GENIBEN NAGAJI THAKOR:

## Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री

be pleased to state:

- (a) whether there are any plans to conduct regular and independent audits of toll collection operations to ensure transparency and accuracy and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  the  details  of  action  taken  to  implement  an  oversight  mechanism to review  toll  collection  records  and  financial  transactions  to  identify  any discrepancies;
- (c) the details of steps taken to establish stringent penalties for toll plaza operators found guilty of intentional or repeated excess toll collection;
- (d)  the  details  of  action  taken  to  prevent  the  establishment  of  fake  toll plazas in the country;
- (e)  whether the Government is framing a plan for toll plaza free system and if so, the details thereof; and

(f)  whether  there  is  any  NH  lying  in  dilapidated  condition  but  toll  tax  is still  being  collected  over  there,  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  steps taken/being taken in this regard?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

(SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)

(a) & (b) For reviewing the fee collection records and ensuring collection of  fees  as  per  provision  of  NH  Fee  Rule/  Concession  Agreement, independent audits are conducted such as Internal Audit, Thematic Audit and Forensic Audit. Further,  to  overcome  the  issue  of  fraudulent  practice  and  to  ensure transparency,  Toll  Management  and  Control  Centre  (TMCC)  portal  has been developed by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)/ Indian Highway Management Company Limited (IHMCL) to monitor the real time transaction  details  of  fee  plazas  to  identify  any  discrepancies  and monitoring lane operations continuously. In  addition,  nodal  officers  have  been  appointed  for  fee  plazas  who monitor lane level operations at fee plazas. (c)  As  per  Rule  13  of  National  Highways  (Determination  of  Rates  and Collection) Rules 2008, an officer authorized by the Central Government or  by  the  executing  authority,  as  the  case  may  be,  may  assess  the excess fee collected, if any, by the executing authority or the concessionaire,  as  the  case  may  be,  and  recover  the  same  from  such authority  or  concessionaire,  along  with  an  additional  sum  equal  to twenty-five  per  cent  of  the  excess  fee  collected.  Provided  that  no recovery  of  such  excess  fee  shall  be  made  unless  an  opportunity  of hearing has been given to the executing authority or concessionaire, as the case may be. Further,  in  case  of  Public  Funded  fee  plazas,  Clause  18  of  Contract agreement provides that in case it is observed and/or established to the satisfaction of the Authority that the fee collecting agency has charged user  fee  in  excess  of  the  prescribed  rate,  the  Authority  may  impose  a penalty  of  an  amount  equal  to  fifty  times  of  the  actual  amount  so charged per day for 30 days i.e. (actual amount charged x 30 days x 50). (d) There is no such fake plaza operating/ no such incident noticed/ found on National Highways sections. (e) Pilot study with regard to Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) based user fee collection system has already been done on the following

- two Highway stretches: -
- (i) Bengaluru-Mysore section of NH-275 in the State of Karnataka.
- (ii) Panipat- Hisar section of NH-709 (old NH-71A) in the State of

Haryana. It  has  been  decided  to  initially  implement  GNSS  based  Electronic  Toll Collection (ETC) System at selected sections across Country of National Highways on pilot basis as an added facility along with FASTag. (f) User fee rates at National Highways fee plazas are levied as per the extant National Highways Fee Rules. Upkeep and maintenance of National Highways (NHs) including bridges, structures, etc. are undertaken through different modes. In Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) Contracts, the Contractors maintain road  during  construction  period  and  thereafter  during  Defects  Liability Period-cum-Maintenance  Period.  In  Design  Build  Finance  Operate  and Transfer (DBFOT)/ Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) Contracts, the Concessionaires  maintain  the road during construction period  and thereafter till end of concession period. Concessionaires of Toll Operate and Transfer (TOT)/Special Purpose Vehicle (SPVs) of INVIT agreements maintain  the  road  during  the  concession  period.  Rest  of  the  National Highways stretches are generally maintained by contractors of Performance based Maintenance Contract (PBMC) and Short-term Maintenance Contract (STMC).

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