CHENNAI: With vehicle user fees set to increase by 3% to 5% from April 1 across 60 toll plazas on national highways and eight on state highways, prices of essential goods are expected to rise across Tamil Nadu.
The 60 toll plazas on national highways are located along key stretches, including Chennai–Kanniyakumari, Tiruchy–Salem and Salem–Coimbatore. On state highways, the eight plazas include four on the 60-km Vandalur–Minjur Outer Ring Road, two on the Madurai Ring Road, and one each at Akkarai on East Coast Road and Navalur on Old Mahabalipuram Road.
Of the 77 toll plazas on national highways in the state, user fees at the remaining 17 plazas will be revised on September 1, as per the annual schedule.
However, toll rates will not be increased at the Nemili and Chennasamudram plazas on the Maduravoyal–Walajahapet stretch of the Bengaluru bypass, as six-laning works remain incomplete. Toll charges at these plazas have remained unchanged since April 1, 2019.
According to a notification issued by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), toll charges for cars and jeeps will rise by Rs 5, while rates for buses and other heavy vehicles will increase by Rs 15 to Rs 40, depending on the category. The revision has been carried out in accordance with the National Highways (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008.
The revised rates will come into effect at key toll plazas around Chennai, including Surapattu and Vanagaram on the Chennai bypass, Nallur on the Chennai–Tada highway, Pattaraiperumbudur on the Chennai–Tirupati highway, and Paranur and Athur on the Tambaram–Chengalpattu stretch.
Official data show that NHAI collected Rs 18,865.14 crore between April 1, 2021 and February 28 this year. Toll revenue in the state rose from Rs 3,758.23 crore in 2022–23 to Rs 4,157.96 crore in 2023–24, and further to Rs 4,300 crore in 2024–25.
With the introduction of an annual toll pass priced at Rs 3,000, allowing non-transport vehicles up to 200 trips, officials expect collections to stabilise in the coming years.
“Toll collections have been increasing annually due to rate revisions and a rise in vehicle numbers. However, since the introduction of the annual pass for non-transport vehicles last August, collections may stabilise or even decline,” an NHAI official said.
S Yuvraj, president of the Tamil Nadu State Sand Lorry Owners Federation, said the government should consider introducing a similar annual toll pass for trucks to ease congestion at toll plazas.