If you often travel on expressways, then this news is for you. News related to expressways in India often remains in the headlines, and now the latest information related to toll tax has come out. Especially, if you travel between Bengaluru and Chennai, this news will have a direct impact on your pocket. Traveling on these new, modern expressways has become more expensive than before. National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has released the list of new toll rates for the expressway, which is effective immediately.
After this decision, travel will become expensive for those using cars, buses, trucks and heavy commercial vehicles. This sudden increase will have the biggest impact on those who use these routes daily or several times a week for work or business. Let us see how much toll has increased on these expressways.
What effect will this have on your pocket?
Under the new toll structure, different rates have been fixed for different types of vehicles. If you are traveling in your car, jeep or van, now you will have to pay around ₹320 toll for a one-way journey. Whereas, if you return within 24 hours, the return journey will cost around ₹480.
Additionally, for those who frequently travel on this route in their own vehicles, a monthly pass with 50 single journeys is available for approximately ₹10,655. Overall, driving on this expressway is going to be much more expensive than before.
Increase in tax for commercial and heavy vehicles
The special thing is that these new toll rates have had the biggest impact on commercial and heavy vehicles. For light commercial vehicles, the one-way toll has been fixed at ₹515 and the return toll has been fixed at ₹775. At the same time, 2-axle buses and trucks will now have to pay ₹ 1,080 for a one-way journey and ₹ 1,620 for a round trip. For 3-axle commercial vehicles, the toll has increased to ₹1,180 for a one-way journey and ₹1,770 for a return journey. Additionally, the toll for very heavy vehicles and large trucks with seven or more axles has increased to ₹2,070, which will significantly increase the cost of logistics.
What effect will this have?
NHAI says the toll tax was necessary to provide world-class facilities, safety measures, highway patrolling and maintenance of the expressways. However, there is a lot of anger among transporters and drivers regarding this decision.
The transport association believes that the increase in toll tax will directly increase the fare for carrying goods between Bengaluru and Chennai. As the cost of transportation of goods increases, it will also affect the prices of everyday items in the market. In other words, this increase in toll will not only affect the pockets of drivers but will also affect the common man.
things to keep in mind
If you are planning to travel through this new expressway, then keep some things in mind to avoid sudden problems. First of all, check your vehicle's FASTag balance and make sure there is enough money in it; If the balance at the toll plaza is less, you may have to pay double the toll as penalty.
If you are planning a round trip on the same day, always choose the 'Return Trip' option at the toll booth to save money. Apart from this, check the complete list of new rates applicable to your vehicle in advance through the official website of NHAI or the National Highway Helpline.