National Highways Authority of India notifies user fee for Thuvakudi toll plaza

NHAI notifies user fees for new toll plaza on Tiruchi Bypass section of National Highway-67, causing opposition from road users.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has notified the user fee for a new toll plaza on Tiruchi Bypass section of National Highway-67, which forms part of a semi ring road around the city.

As per a public notification of NHAI, cars, jeeps, vans and other light motor vehicles would have to pay a user fee of ₹35 for a one-way trip and ₹.55 for a round trip within 24 hours. For light commercial vehicles, light goods vehicles and mini buses, the fee would be ₹.55 and ₹85 for single and return journey, respectively. The fees for buses and trucks (with two axles) is ₹120 (single) and ₹.180 (return journey). Higher rates will be applicable for other categories such as three-axle commercial vehicles; heavy construction machinery, earth moving equipment, multi-axle vehicles (four to six axles); and ‘oversized vehicles’ with seven or more axles.

Road users had opposed the move to collect user free for the bypass section contending that the toll plaza was located within a radius of two km to the Vazhavanthankottai toll plaza on Tiruchi-Thanjavur Highway. However, the toll collection by the concessionaire is set to begin from February 14 as per the notification.

The bypass road connects Thanjavur-Tiruchi and Tiruchi-Karaikudi and Tiruchi-Madurai National Highways and will ultimately connect Tiruchi-Dindigul and Tiruchi-Karur National Highway sections once the semi ring road is fully completed.

The bypass section has been popular with motorists visiting the Tiruchi airport and also those headed towards Pudukottai and Madurai from Thanjavur-Tiruchi Highway as they could avoid the city traffic. “Although the bypass section is a bit longer, it offers a convenient and quick connectivity to the airport and Thanjavur highway. But now the user fees is set to become a bit too steep as you have to pay twice within such short distance,” says Kumbaragurubaran, a regular traveller on the route.

With the introduction of the user fee, motorists, especially heavy and commercial vehicles, may instead opt to go via Ariyamangalam despite having to negotiate the city traffic. This will only aggravate the congestion, felt S. Manoharan, a resident of Rajappa Nagar.

Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari had announced last year that there would be only one toll plaza for a distance of 60 km on national highways and if there were more than one toll plaza, such facility would be closed down, he points out.