CHENNAI: At a time when prices of essential goods are witnessing a record jump due to soaring fuel prices and other factors, consumers will now have to shell out more as user fee has been hiked by 10 to 15 % at 29 toll plazas on national highways and four on Chennai Outer Ring Road.
The revised fee will come into effect on April 1. To effect this revision, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and Tamil Nadu Road Development Company (TNRDC), an agency under state highways which operates the 60 km Vandalur - Minjur ORR, have issued a notification recently.
“With the user fee going up, the logistics cost of essential commodities will increase up to 10% to 15 %. Although the hike was only 5 to 8 %, we recharge the Fastag account for Rs 35,000 to Rs 50,000 for round trip, leading to an additional expense of up to 10 to 15 %. Therefore, the additional expenses are being transferred to the consumers,” said Murugan Venkatachalam, president of the Tamil Nadu Lorry Owners Federation (TNLWF).
After revision, the car, jeep and light motor vehicles will be levied an additional fee of Rs 10 to Rs 35 per trip at Athur ( Tambaram - Tindivanam), Nallur (Chennai - Tada), Paranur (Tambaram - Tindivanam), Surapattu & Vanagaram (Chennai Bypass), Vaniyambadi (Krishnagiri - Walajahpet) and other plazas.
Official sources said the toll fee hike is calculated based on the wholesale price index under the provisions of National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008.
However, the vehicle user fee will remain unchanged at Nemili & Chennasamudram toll plazas on Sriperumbudur - Walajahroad NH which is being widened into a six-lane. The user fee for these two plazas was last increased in April 2020.
A M Vikrama Raja, president of federation of Tamil Nadu traders’ association said, “The union government cannot be selective in implementing the rule of law based on its convenience.”
The toll fee collection at four plazas on the Vandalur-Minjur ORR began in January last year. However, after six months, the user fee was hiked by 10% on July 1 of the same year.
With the revision of fee from April 1, the toll fee for cars and jeeps between Vandalur and Minjur increased from Rs 109 to Rs 130, and for light commercial vehicles, the fee rose from Rs 175 to Rs 210. Meanwhile, for trucks and buses, the toll fee increased from Rs 309 to Rs 444 per trip. S Ganesh, a regular commuter said, “The higher user fee will force the motorists to enter into the city.”
Fact sheet