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The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is all set to introduce toll tax for the 48-km Lucknow-Unnao stretch on NH 25 by April this year. It will set up a toll tax booth just before Nawabganj.
NHAI officials said the recommendation in this regard has already been sent to the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways and a notification is expected within a month.
The toll tax may be charged at reduced rates initially, they added.
“A toll plaza is generally set up at an interval of 70-80 km on the highway. But a railway overbridge in Unnao on Lucknow-Kanpur stretch is yet to be completed. So, the toll may be reduced proportionately,” said M K Jain, Project Director of NHAI.
The proposed site (near Nawabganj) for the toll plaza suggests that commuters coming from Lucknow to Unnao and Kanpur will have to pay the tax.
“Similarly, the people coming from Kanpur to Lucknow will also have to pay the toll. But, people travelling from Lucknow to Banthara or from Kanpur to Unnao would be saved from the tax,” an official said.
The proposed toll site, however, may be changed after the ROB in Unnao is completed.
While cars, jeeps and vans will have to pay a tax of around Rs 25, trucks and buses will be charged around Rs 95.
“The toll tax is calculated for 12 am to 11.59 pm for one-side trip. If a commuter has to return on the same day, he will have to shell out about one-and-a-half times of the toll rate,” a NHAI official said.
“For daily commuters, the NHAI can issue monthly passes,” he added.
According to NHAI norms, VIPs, defence vehicles, police vehicles, fire-fighting vehicles, ambulances, funeral vans, posts and telegraphs department vehicles will not have pay toll tax.
This will be the second highway after NH 2 in the state on which toll tax will be introduced.
“According to government policy, NHAI will set up toll plaza as soon a particular highway stretch is completed. And these are going to stay, so that NHAI could carry out maintenance and upgradation works effectively,” another official said.
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The Toll Tax on some Highway should be imposed after when the road got fully completed except the normal wear and tear of the road but the Toll on Lucknow Unnao has been imposed before the completion of the road to 100%. The toll is meant for reimbursement of the expenses for constructing the road and for its further maintenance. The same shall easily be imposed anytime after the fully completion of the road. The same should not be imposed in between the process of construction. The Lucknow Unnao highway is not fully completed and the road at so many places is so bad. The smooth driving on the raod is yet not possible. My appeal is to instantly take off the toll imposed on the lucknow unnao highway or otherwise some one has to take the initiative to challenge the impugned and arbitrary action of the concerned authority of imposing toll on the lucknow unnao highway. There are legal remedy to such type of actions/decisions taken without application of mind.