Truckers sound alarm over toll hike in Himachal
BBN transport network faces mounting pressure as freight, commuting costs jump sharply
The steep toll tax hike effective April 1 has ignited strong protests from transporters and industry leaders in Himachal Pradesh’s industrial backbone — the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh (BBN) belt. Home to over 90 per cent of the state’s industries, the region now faces mounting concerns over rising logistics costs and shrinking competitiveness.
Key sectors such as textiles, steel, pharmaceuticals and automobile manufacturing dispatch between 80 and 100 trucks daily. A similar number of vehicles enter the region carrying essential raw materials, including scrap, yarn, spare parts, packaging material and other industrial inputs. Since Himachal neither produces most of its raw materials nor serves as a primary market for finished goods, the BBN industrial ecosystem is heavily dependent on interstate transport.
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Transporters point out that trucks must also pay entry tax when re-entering the state, further compounding operational costs. Meanwhile, thousands of employees commute daily from the Tricity region and surrounding areas to BBN in private vehicles. The revised toll for such vehicles has reportedly increased from Rs 70 to Rs 170, more than doubling the daily commuting expense and straining household budgets.
The Nalagarh Truck Operators Union (NTOU), described as Asia’s largest truck union, along with the Truck Operators Society, has demanded an immediate rollback. NTOU president Vidya Ratna Chaudhary termed the decision detrimental to the state’s industrial growth, arguing that the transportation network in BBN is entirely truck-dependent.
With nearly 12,000 registered trucks under its fold and thousands operating daily in the region, the union warns that higher toll charges will directly inflate freight rates. Industries, already navigating tight margins, may be compelled to pass on the added costs to consumers. “The burden will ultimately fall on the common man,” Chaudhary cautioned.
He further highlighted that the supply chain for pharmaceuticals, food products, consumer goods and packaging materials is deeply tied to this transport system. A toll hike, he said, would create a cascading effect, increasing the cost of raw materials sourced from other states and undermining the state’s competitiveness in national markets.
Transporters have warned of a statewide agitation under the federation’s banner if the decision is not reconsidered. Industry stakeholders argue that at a time when investment promotion and employment generation remain key priorities, policies that escalate operational costs could slow industrial momentum and dampen investor confidence. As tensions rise, all eyes are now on the state government’s response.
