Pay up to 18% extra toll at Dappar, Chandimandir toll plaza

Advertisement

Mohali/Panchkula, August 31

Motorists will have to pay more user fee at toll plazas with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) revising the user fee charges by 10.5% to 18% for different categories of vehicles with effect from Thursday.

At the Dappar toll plaza on the Chandigarh-Ambala highway private car, jeep van owners will have to shell out Rs 45, up from Rs 40, for single journey and Rs 70, instead of Rs 60, for return journey within a day. The daily commuters with monthly passes will now have to pay Rs 1,375, revised from Rs 1,215.

The charges for light commercial vehicles and mini buses have increased from Rs 70 to Rs 80, while the fee for return journey within a day will now be Rs 120. The trucks and buses will have to pay Rs 160 and Rs 240 for single journey and return journey, respectively. Roughly, there has been a 12.5% to 13% increase in the user fee charges for the category.

Deepak Arora, general manager, GMR Ambala-Chandigarh Expressways Private Limited, said: “The user fee rates have been revised after two years. Previously, the rates were revised on September 1, 2019.” Officials said the rates were revised every year only in the multiples of Rs 5.

According to the concession agreement dated November 16, 2005, the concession period ends on May 14, 2026. The user fee (toll) rates shall be reduced to 40% after the end of the period.

Similarly, commuters on the Zirakpur-Parwanoo highway will have to pay more at the Chandimandir toll plaza with the Himalayan Expressway Limited increasing the user charges for private cars and jeeps by 10.5%.

The private car, jeep and van owners will have to shell out Rs 35, up from Rs 30, for a single journey and Rs 55, instead of Rs 50, for return journey within a day. The daily commuters with monthly passes will now have to pay Rs 1,080, revised from Rs 955.

The charges for light commercial vehicles and mini buses have increased from Rs 55 to Rs 65, while these will have to pay Rs 95 for the return journey within 24 hours. The cost of passes for these vehicles has been increased from Rs 1,670 to Rs 1,890.

Trucks and buses will have to pay Rs 125 and Rs 195 for single journey and return journey, respectively. Roughly, there has been a 13.6% increase in the user fee. The cost of passes for these vehicles has been increased from Rs 3,345 to Rs 3,780.

According to information, 30,000-35,000 vehicles cross the Chandimandir toll plaza every day and the number swells to 40,000-45,000 on weekends. People from Punjab, Chandigarh and Delhi use the highway to visit tourist places such as Shimla, Kasauli and Kufri.