Tamil Nadu wants toll plazas to be closed, says EV Velu

CHENNAI: Highways Minister EV Velu on Saturday reiterated that the State government has been taking up with the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways the issue of closing some toll plazas on the National Highways and reducing the user fees by 40 per cent on some.

Intervening the debate on the demand for grants on the Public Works, Highways and Minor Ports Department, the Minister said that every time he met the Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, he had taken up the issue of toll plazas in the State. "I have written a letter to the Union minister on the toll plazas on March 18, this year," he told the Assembly.

The National Highways run a total distance of 6,805 km, including a 1,677 km stretch under the state national highways wing maintenance. "There are 58 toll plazas in the state. Of them, the user fees are revised on April 1 every year in 37 toll plazas and the rest on September 1. Every time we raise the issue, the union government replies that they are revising the user fees as per the concessionaire agreement," he said.

The Minister alleged that the NHAI has been setting up toll plazas after widening the state highways by mere 1.5 meters to 3 meters on either side. "There are 14 such highways where the NHAI has set up toll plazas. We want the removal of such toll plazas," he said.

He added that he also sought the closure of the toll plazas within the city corporation or municipality limits.

He said that the government also sought a reduction of the user fee to 40 per cent in the toll plazas where the expense has been recovered. "However, it was also not done," he said, adding that the Union Minister has told the Parliament that instead of a collection of user fees for a stretch, the users would be charged as per the km travelled basis through an app.

"DMK government has been demanding the removal of toll plazas or reduction of the user fees to 40 per cent. That is our stand," he said.

Initiating the debate, AIADMK's Palacode MLA KP Anbalagan raised the issue of the toll charges hike. He also wanted to know what action the government has taken on closing the toll plazas within 60 km of one another.