Toll collection at Dohlunala plaza on Kullu-Manali highway to resume soon
Despite persistent opposition from locals, the Dohlunala toll plaza on the two lane Kullu-Manali National Highway will not be removed. Toll collection at the plaza had been halted following severe damage caused to the highway by floods in the Beas river in July 2023. However, according to the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), with most of the repairs completed on the 35-km stretch between Kullu and Manali, toll collection at the Dohlunala plaza is set to resume.
Earlier, light motor vehicles (LMVs) were charged Rs 80 per trip at the Dohlunala toll plaza. At present, LMVs traveling between Manali and Chandigarh must pay Rs 385 at four existing toll plazas over the 266 km distance. With the reopening of the Dohlunala toll plaza, the amount will increase to Rs 465. It means commuters, including tourists from across the country, will now have to pay toll fees at five locations between Chandigarh and Manali.
Although the distance between the Takoli and Dohlunala toll plazas is less than 60 km, special permission has been granted due to the challenging terrain. The authorities said the plaza’s establishment followed legal provisions. However, locals argued that while the ministry had claimed that no toll plazas should exist within 60 km of each other, now there were five toll collection points along the 266-km stretch from Chandigarh to Manali. The Takoli toll plaza itself resumed operations on January 27 after staying non-operational for 18 months following the disaster.
Frequent travellers on the Chandigarh-Manali highway view this development as a major setback. Many locals have staged multiple protests against the resumption of toll plaza, insisting that the highway between Kullu and Manali had not yet been fully restored. They argue that the NHAI should prioritise completing the restoration work of the two-lane road before resuming the toll collection process. Farmers have also demanded a complete waiver of the toll fee.
The Four-Lane Sangharsh Samiti has taken a legal action in the matter. Mohinder Thakur, president of the Manali Four-Lane Sangharsh Samiti, said the plaza had been established in violation of the Toll Plaza Act, which prohibited toll collection on two-lane roads. He has labelled the imposition of toll fees on the Kullu-Manali road as unjustified and demanded its complete removal.
Toll plazas on the Kiratpur-Manali four-lane highway are located at Gadamaura, Dahar, Takoli and Dohlunala. These include one plaza in Bilaspur district, two in Mandi district and one another in Kullu district. FASTag-based toll collection is operational at three of these plazas, and now, the collection process is set to begin at the sole toll plaza in Kullu district.
NHAI project director Varun Chari insists that the Dohlunala toll plaza has been established according to legal regulations. He explains that, as per the provisions of the Act, special permission has been obtained from the ministry for the short 60-km distance between toll plazas. He added that formalities were nearing completion, and the toll plaza would commence the operations soon.
Toll plaza rates from Chandigarh to Manali Fees
Kurali (Behrampur), NH-205, Punjab Rs 55
Garamaura Toll Plaza, NH-03, HP Rs 155
Dehar Fee Plaza, NH-03, HP Rs 65
Takoli Toll Plaza, NH-03, HP Rs 110
Dohlunala Toll Plaza, NH-03 Rs 80
