Government Cracks Down on Faulty Toll Collections: Refunds and Penalties in Focus

In 2024, the government issued 12.55 lakh refunds for faulty toll collections on National Highways and imposed penalties exceeding Rs 2 crore on fee-collecting agencies. An Advanced Traffic Management System is operational on 325 projects, and state-owned NHAI raised Rs 6,661 crore through TOT Mode.

The government announced its measures to address faulty toll collections on National Highways, revealing that 12.55 lakh refunds were processed in 2024 due to incorrect deductions. This was disclosed by Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

With penalties totaling more than Rs 2 crore, the user fee collecting agencies are being held accountable for incorrect charges. Gadkari also highlighted plans to implement audit cameras at high-value toll plazas, using Artificial Intelligence for monitoring accuracy, a potential game-changer in toll management.

Additionally, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) continues its development initiatives, including deploying more public EV charging stations and raising funds through the TOT Mode, with Rs 6,661 crore secured for the 2024-25 fiscal year.

(With inputs from agencies.)