CHENNAI: Government buses will have a hard time with the electronic toll collection system coming into force on Tuesday as it allows only 50 trips monthly through a toll gate. Uncertainty still prevails over the operation of mofussil government buses as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has turned down the government’s request to permit its buses unlimited trips on toll roads.
In 2019, the Centre withdrew monthly passes for locally registered commercial vehicles which allowed them to cross the toll gates without any limits. It stated that National Highways (Rate and Fee Rules) 1997 which granted such a concession was revised through the NH Fee (Determination of Rate and Collection) Rules 2008. NHAI claimed that government buses are commercial vehicles and are not eligible for the concession. However, the buses can get monthly passes at a reduced rate (66 per cent of fee payable for 50 single journeys) which will enable the vehicles to cross the toll gates 50 times monthly.
Opposing the move, the State government filed a case in Madras High Court demanding to permit its buses unlimited trips in the 22 toll gates which were developed before 2008. As the case was pending before the Court, the transport corporations opted for a monthly pass scheme at a reduced rate and made the payments through cheque at the end of every month.
The four toll plazas in Hosur-Krishnagiri, Krishnagiri-Walajahpet, Walajahpet-Poonamallee and Tiruchy-Dindigul have already filed a case in Madras High Court demanding the State transport to compensate for the loss of Rs 98 crore. “Buses plying in the Chennai-Vellore or Villupuram route may make about three to four trips thereby crossing each toll gate eight times a day. Thus, the FASTag account balance is likely to be zero in a week” said a senior official from one of the TNSTC corporations.
Although the Centre has removed the minimum balance for FASTag, vehicles with a negative balance in the wallet cannot cross the toll gates. “Hence, the transport corporations either had to recharge FASTag for every seven to ten days or will have to allow the buses to run on a cash lane paying double the fare. We are expecting the government’s decision within a week,” added the official.
While the transport corporations are already under mounting debts, permitting the buses to run on a cash lane would be unviable, said K Arumuga Nainar, General Secretary of Transport Employees Federation affiliated to the CITU.