We are VIPs, we don’t pay toll

The Ministry’s plans to downsize this ever-swelling category is included in the new toll policy as a measure to plug revenue loss — a crucial factor with numerous private players involved in National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)’s BOT (build-operate-transfer) projects.

Officials say 5-10 per cent of the revenue collection through toll is hit due to exemptions alone. The problem area, say officials, is that the local administration and all its departments fall in the “government vehicles” category and so evade user charges at toll plazas. Last year, Rs 1080 crore was collected as toll tax across the highway network — at an average collection of Rs 32 lakh per kilometre per year.

While the new toll policy is said to have been cleared by the Committee of Secretaries, the real test will come when the policy goes to the Cabinet for approval.

“We are very serious about streamlining the exempted vehicles category and will extend the facility only to highest constitutional offices like the PM, President, Chief Justices, Governors and so on. In the new toll policy, we will keep the list as short as possible and even the local administration will have to pay user charges once it comes into effect. Only local government vehicles in use while on duty will be exempted as per the proposal. The problem is that the exemption has become a kind of badge of rank all want to wear¿ it’s a mindset problem. We need to correct that,” said a senior official from the Ministry.

The Ministry has reasons, given that several private operators are waiting to hear when the new policy will be effected. Case in point: the Visakhapatnam Port Road Company Ltd (VPRCL) that built a new road to the Visakhapatnam port early this year and wanted to know if toll exemptions on Central and state government vehicles could be withdrawn as proposed by NHAI. It was, however, “advised to follow” the norm until the policy came into effect.

Toll plaza staff also have it tough with the long convoys accompanying ministers as only the convoys of the PM and President are exempt from paying user charges and not those of MPs and MLAs. The toll plaza staff has, however, figured that none of the long cavalcades can actually be tolled as they also fall in the “government vehicles” category. The new toll policy could change all that at least on national highways.

State highways are several steps ahead in doling out freebies with several states exempting freedom fighters, journalists, members of political parties and even hockey players from road-user charges. Most developed countries, in contrast, allow free right of way at toll plazas only to breakdown vehicles, fire tenders and local police and administration vehicles while operating on duty.