Toll collection in Karnataka hit five-year high in 2023-24

Karnataka has witnessed a substantial increase in toll fee collections on National Highways over the last five years, with a total collection amounting to ₹13,702.61 crore from 2019-20 to 2023-24, according to data provided by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Incidentally, 14 new toll plazas were set up in Karnataka in the last three years, including the Bengaluru-Mysuru Access Controlled Highway which opened in March 2023. In Figures i) Total toll collection : ₹13,702.61 crore 2019-2020: ₹1,881.99 crore 2020-2021: ₹1,866.39 crore 2021-2022: ₹2,351.26 crore 2022-2023: ₹3,516.79 crore 2023-2024: ₹4,086.18 crore ii) Operational toll plazas in Karnataka : 58 iii) New toll plazas in the last three years: 14 Source: Ministry of Road Transport and Highways Unrelated to project cost: Gadkari Addressing this concern, Mr. Gadkari clarified that user fees collected at National Highway toll plazas are not directly linked to project cost recovery. “As per the provision of National Highways Fee Rules, 2008, the fee as notified as per Concession Agreement shall be leviable till the end of the concession period and after the concession period is over, the fee shall be collected by the central government or the executing authority as per the fee specified under sub-rule of rule 4 of National Highway Fee Rules, 2008 on the date of transfer of such section of the National Highway, bridge, tunnel, or bypass, as the case may be, to be revised annually.