CHENNAI: Just 52 days after raising the monthly toll pass fee for residents living within 20km of toll plazas by Rs 10, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has increased the fee by another Rs 10 at 60 toll plazas on national highways.
According to NHAI notifications, the new rates will take effect from Saturday. Following this latest hike, the monthly toll pass fee has risen from Rs 340 to Rs 350 for residents. Earlier, on April 1, it was increased from Rs 330 to Rs 340.
The 60 toll plazas include Vanagaram and Surapattu on the Chennai Bypass, Athur and Paranur on the Tambaram-Tindivanam National Highway, as well as plazas on the Chennai-Villupuram-Nagapattinam East Coast Road, the Vellore-Tiruvannamalai National Highway, and stretches including Tiruchy-Salem, Madurai-Kanniyakumari, Coimbatore-Salem, Vellore-Dharmapuri and others.
Official NHAI sources told TNIE that the toll revision ranging between 2.5% and 2.7% of the actual rates was initially calculated using Wholesale Price Index (WPI) data from the government website up to the end of March. However, after the final report was released, the WPI for all commodities was found to have risen from 157.0 to 157.8, indicating higher inflation. Consequently, the toll adjustment was revised to account for the additional 0.8 increase linked to the WPI.
“The toll for single journeys for all vehicle categories remains unchanged. In some cases, the return journey fee within 24 hours has gone up by Rs 5. However, the monthly pass for private vehicles registered within a 20-km radius of toll plazas has mostly increased by Rs 10, and in a few places by Rs 15. Toll charges for commercial vehicles have also risen by Rs 10 to Rs 15,” an official explained.
Tamil Nadu has 77 national highway toll plazas. While rates at 60 plazas are revised every year on April 1, the remaining 17 are revised on September 1. The annual toll revision is carried out in accordance with the National Highways (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008.
Under NHAI rules, residents living within a 20-km radius of toll plazas are eligible for subsidised monthly passes costing Rs 350. Commercial vehicles registered within the same radius may cross toll plazas by paying only 50% of the toll fee. They can also opt for a monthly pass at 66% of the toll rate, which allows up to 50 single trips per month. Additionally, non-commercial vehicles can also purchase an annual pass for Rs 3,075 which allows 200 single transactions at toll plazas and valid for 12 months.
