The National Highway Authority of India and the Punjab government are all set to increase toll barriers along the national and state highways. for instance, travelling between Chandigarh and Delhi will become expensive as a new toll plaza is to shortly come up at Panipat. This is apart from the two existing barriers at Dera Bassi and Karnal. This will be followed by a new barrier between Ambala and Zirakpur.

As of now, the cumulative cost of one-way travel between the two capitals is Rs 87. This is likely to go up to Rs 187. At the Panipat barrier, commuters will have to shell out around Rs 70. In effect, travelling by the Janshatabdi costs less than Rs 100.

“On an average, 50 paise toll per kilometre is charged from those using the road. The annual increase is linked to the price index that amounts to an annual increase of 6 per cent,” said a Punjab government official.

The logic doesn’t seem to cut much ice especially if one considers the travel cost from Chandigarh to Hoshiarpur. A new toll barrier is likely to increase the toll tax on the 135-kilometre Chandigarh to Hoshiarpur stretch to Rs 120.

The cost of travelling between Chandigarh and Amritsar is also likely to go up. At present, one has to pay Rs 210 for the 450-kilometre drive from Delhi to Amritsar. With the addition of four toll plazas, this amount is likely to go up to Rs 410. There are three existing toll plazas at Karnal, Shambu and Dauraha. The new toll plazas will be at the Panipat flyover, in Phagwara, Kartarpur and Jandialaguru.

Multiple toll barriers can lead to a reduction in speed and lead to concomitant traffic snarls. The authorities propose to address this problem by issuing smart cards. The card will be issued by a bank and will follow the method similar to the one adapted by the Delhi Metro. If displayed on the windscreen of the car, the smart card readers installed at the plazas will read it and deduct the amount.

“This system has successfully worked in most European nations. Not only does it prevent formation of long queues at toll points, it also enables efficient collection by minimising leakages,” said an official.

It is the same as it is European countries, so that no long queues are their and no traffic jams due to toll. Also it will plug any leakage in toll collection,” said an officer.

State highways in Punjab will also have new toll barriers. As of now, there are seven toll roads in Punjab. Toll collections will shortly start between Ferozepur and Fazilka, Malerkotla and Nabha, Bhawanigarh and Nabha, and Mullapur Dhakha and Barnala. The toll rates will vary between Rs 24 and Rs 36.

Besides the state government, the NHAI will set up toll plazas on five more national highways passing through Punjab, two toll plazas on the road between Kurali and Kiratpur, three between Jalandhar and Pathankot, one on the road from Ambala to Zirakpur and two on the Amritsar-Pathankot road. The Kharar-Ludhaina-Ferozepur road will be also be tolled.