Parliament Committee recommends reforms for toll collection, ending perpetual tolling on national highways
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament has recommended significant reforms to toll collection on national highways, advocating for an end to "perpetual tolling" once capital and maintenance costs are recovered. The PAC expressed concern that current practices allow indefinite collection regardless of road quality or user affordability. It proposed establishing an independent regulatory authority for transparency in toll determination and collection, and suggested reimbursements for users during construction. Despite FASTags, traffic bottlenecks persist due to malfunctioning scanners. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways acknowledged the concerns and initiated a comprehensive study with NITI Aayog to revise the user fee determination framework, considering factors like vehicle operating cost and user willingness to pay.
Key Points
- The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) recommends ending perpetual toll collection on national highways after capital and maintenance costs are recovered.
- The PAC called for an independent regulatory authority to ensure transparency and fairness in toll determination, collection, and regulation.
- It highlighted issues with FASTags, including persistent traffic bottlenecks due to malfunctioning scanners.
- The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is conducting a study with NITI Aayog to revise the user fee determination framework.
Exam Facts
- Committee: Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament.
- PAC Head: Congress MP K.C. Venugopal.
- Act: National Highways Act, 1956 (Sections 7 and 9).
- Body involved in study: NITI Aayog.
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