Mon Feb 03 12:10:20 UTC 2025: ## India to Implement Uniform Toll Policy Amidst Highway Construction Boom

**New Delhi, [Date]** – Union Minister Nitin Gadkari announced today that the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is developing a uniform national toll policy to address user concerns regarding high costs and inconsistent road quality. This follows rising discontent over toll charges, which have increased significantly in the past decade, despite a substantial increase in highway construction.

The minister stated that India’s highway infrastructure now rivals that of the United States. To improve the user experience, the ministry is also implementing a barrier-less GNSS-based toll collection system on national highways. Gadkari emphasized that complaints from social media are being taken seriously, with strong action taken against underperforming contractors.

While private car traffic accounts for 60% of national highway usage, its contribution to toll revenue is only 20-26%, highlighting a disparity that the new policy aims to address. Total toll collection in 2023-24 reached ₹64,809.86 crore, a 35% increase from the previous year.

On the construction front, Gadkari expressed confidence in exceeding the previous record of 37 km of highway construction per day, achieved in 2020-21. In the current financial year, around 7,000 km have already been constructed, with a projected 13,000 km of projects to be awarded. However, the pace of project awards has slowed due to the absence of a replacement for the Bharatmala Pariyojana scheme, which has led to a backlog of projects awaiting cabinet approval.

To mitigate delays and cost overruns, a new inter-ministerial panel mandates acquiring 90% of land and obtaining all necessary statutory clearances before bidding on highway projects. This new measure, while aimed at improving efficiency, has contributed to the slower pace of project awards. Despite this, significant progress has been made under Bharatmala Pariyojana, with 26,425 km of projects awarded and 18,714 km constructed as of October 31, 2024. India’s national highway network currently spans 146,195 km.

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