Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said in speculative reports on Thursday that the government said that the government is going to impose toll tax on two-wheelers.
“Some media houses are spreading misleading news about imposing toll tax on two-wheelers. No such decision has been proposed,” the minister wrote on X, in Hindi.
The discount on toll for two-wheelers will continue completely, they assured.
He said, “It is not a sign of healthy journalism to spread misleading news without verifying the truth to create a sensation. I condemn it.”
The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) also made it clear that no such proposal is under consideration.
“There is no plan to introduce toll charges for two-wheelers,” NHAI has written on X.
In a separate news, the government is ready to introduce a Fastag-based annual pass, which will provide a ‘big relief’ to the passengers as it will reduce the financial burden and reduce the journey with the need to stop at the toll plaza.
The annual pass plan that will allow passengers to cross 200 toll plazes on national highways, which is just Rs 3,000 annually at the first average of Rs 10,000. The scheme will be applicable from August 15.
Minister Gadkari had said that the new system translates the average toll cost of Rs 15 per cross than the current average – and regularly regularly expects to save highway users up to Rs 7,000.
In April this year, in view of several reports, claiming that Fastags would be replaced by a satellite-based tolling system from 1 May, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (Morth) issued an explanation, refuting these claims. The ministry confirmed that no such decision was taken.
In a release, the ministry then announced that to enable the uninterrupted, obstruct-free movement of vehicles through toll plaza and reduce the time of travel, an ‘ANPR-Fast-based barrier-less tolling system’ would be implemented in the selected toll plaza.
The advanced tolling system combines ‘automated number plate recognition’ (ANPR) technology, which will identify vehicles by reading their number plates, and the current ‘Fastag System’ that uses radio-frequency identification (RFID) for toll cuts.
Under this, without the need to stop at the toll plaza, the high performance will be charged vehicles based on their identity through ANPR camera and fastag readers. In the case of non-non-non-non-non-non-violations, e-neotis will be served to violations, as a result of non-payment of fastags and other vigorous punishment can be suspended.
NHAI has invited dialects for the implementation of ‘ANPR-Fastag-based barrier-less tolling system’ that will be installed in the selected toll plaza. Depending on the performance, efficiency and user’s response of this system, a decision will be taken about its implementation across the country, later. (AI)