DMK Rajya Sabha member P. Wilson on Wednesday made a strong case for abolition of toll plazas across the State.
Making a special mention in the Upper House, he said while there were more than 1,000 toll plazas in India, Tamil Nadu had 48, which is the highest in the country.
He argued that right to travel was fundamental right and in developed countries there was an option of toll and non-toll roads. “However, in our country all important arterial roads in State have been taken over by the NHAI and converted into toll roads, forcing people to pay toll. Those living adjacent to toll roads have to use the roads every day and even the monthly passes are expensive,” he pointed out.
Mr. Wilson said there were many stretches of National Highways operated by concessionaires/NHAI who had already realised the investment but still continuing to collect exorbitant toll fees. “Toll fees are increased year to year by NHAI mechanically. Toll fees are charged even for Government transport buses and other State government vehicles. State transport corporations are not profit driven but provide services at nominal rates,” he added.
Reiterating that all NHAI toll fee plazas in the country required immediate auditing by an independent authority to analyse the, amount realised through toll collections, he said such concessionaires could be settled once for all. “There cannot be element of profiteering in public utility infrastructure. Time has come where all toll plazas have to be abolished,” he said.
