Travelling on highways in Karnataka is set to become more expensive, with toll rates rising by 3-5% starting from today, April 1. A total of 66 toll plazas across the state will be affected by this hike.
Notable toll plazas include Kaniminiike and Seshagirihalli on the Bengaluru-Mysore route, Nangli on the Bengaluru-Tirupati route, Bagepalli on the Bengaluru-Hyderabad route, Sadahalli on the Bengaluru Airport Road, and Hullikunte and Nalluru Devanahalli on the Satellite Town Ring Road.
Details of the Increase:
The Karnataka government has raised toll rates by 3-5% from April 1, affecting most toll plazas based on their concession period.
According to KB Jayakumar, Project Director, NHAI, Bengaluru, the increase will range from a minimum of 3% to a maximum of 5%.
Radhakrishna Holla, President of the Karnataka State Travel Operators Association, mentioned that these additional charges will be passed on to customers, particularly for tourist cabs and taxis.
The toll increase follows the wholesale price index, as per the 2008 rules, making it a default hike.
Nationwide Toll Hike:
Travelling on highways and expressways across India will also get costlier, as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has implemented toll hikes starting April 1.
The new toll rates will impact commuters and commercial operators on major highways, including the Lucknow Highway, Delhi-Meerut Expressway, Eastern Peripheral Expressway, NH-9, and Delhi-Jaipur Highway.
This marks the second toll increase in just one year, with the last hike occurring in June 2024.
The new toll rates for highways in Lucknow, such as Lucknow-Kanpur, Ayodhya, Rae Bareli, and Barabanki, will see light vehicles paying an additional Rs 5-10 per trip, while heavy vehicles will face an increase of Rs 20-25.
Delhi-Meerut and NH-9 Toll Increases:
The toll on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, Eastern Peripheral Expressway, and NH-9 has also gone up.
For example, the one-way toll from Sarai Kale Khan to Meerut will rise from Rs 165 to Rs 170 for cars.
Light commercial vehicles and buses will now pay Rs 275, while trucks will be charged Rs 580 per trip.
Similarly, the Chhijarsi toll plaza on NH-9 will see a rise, with car tolls increasing from Rs 170 to Rs 175, light commercial vehicles paying Rs 280, and buses and trucks paying Rs 590.
The highest increase will be for goods vehicles with more than seven axles, which will now pay Rs 590. The toll from Ghaziabad to Meerut will rise from Rs 70 to Rs 75.
Future Plans and Toll Collection:
The new toll rates will apply from April 1, 2025. At a recent media event, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari announced plans to introduce a new toll policy for national highways.
Gadkari also shared that India’s total toll collection for 2023-24 is expected to reach Rs 64,809.86 crore, marking a 35% increase from the previous year.
