The decision by National Highway Authority (NHA) regarding additional 25 per cent toll tax charges on vehicles with low or no balance in M-Tags was a temporary measure at achieving 100 per cent cashless toll system across the country, National Assembly (NA) was informed on Tuesday.
While responding to a Calling Attention Notice (CAN) by MNA Syed Waseem Hussain and others on the issue of toll taxes by NHA, Parliamentary Secretary for Communication Gul Asghar Khan informed the house that the purpose of this move was to make all roads in the country toll plazas hustle free.
He said that it is being implemented from February 1 this year which significantly increased the payments through M-Tags. “Before this implementation, ratio of payment of toll taxes through M-Tags was merely 10 per cent which has been increased by 55 per cent now within short span time,” parliamentary secretary claimed.
The full implementation of the M-Tag policy aims to streamline the toll collection process and encourage the use of electronic tags for more efficient and faster travel across Pakistan’s motorway network. “The 25 per cent extra charges will be removed immediately when payment goes to 100 per cent through M-Tags,” Asghar Khan clarified.
While highlighting the reasons for taking such steps, he recalled verdict of a high court in which, according to him, the court expressed concerns over the vehicles’ queues on motorways despite having M-Tags. “What is use of motorways if the vehicles will be piled up on toll plazas?” he quoted the court’s decision. After the verdict, the NHA started this move (cashless toll taxes) on Lahore-Sialkot Motorway (LSM) as a ‘motel’ and successfully achieved 100 per cent implementation of cash-free M-Tags, parliamentary secretary said, adding that all kind of initiatives being implemented under NHA act 1991 (amended in 2001). Lawmaker Syed Waseem Hussain also expressed concerns over toll collection on three points in same district, Hyderabad which has been increased from Rs 270 to 460 in two months only. “When someone comes from Karachi via M-9 and intends to enter Hyderabad, has to pay Rs 460 which is highly discriminatory with the public in this era of inflation,” he annoyed.
Parliamentary secretary responded that under the NHA act the toll plaza can be installed on distance of every 20 Kms, adding that the act also allows increasing toll taxes after every three years. “The NHA didn’t increase such toll since last six years while this gape is being filled in term basis and last term will be imposed in coming months,” he justified.
MNA Muhammad Moin Aamer Pirzada, who was also among movers of CAN, expressed serious concerns over depilated condition of M-9 Motorway in Karachi, terming this “a fraud in the name of Motorway” with entire Sindh.
He stated that no other example of this jerry-built road found in entire country motorways, adding that overall this motorway consists of three lanes while he added, one of them is totally destroyed.
Parliamentary Secretary further explained that the NHA has no allocated maintenance budget except toll collection.
Toll collection from motorways and highways across the country remains one of the primary sources of income for the authority.
The key routes where the toll hikes are supposed to be implemented are included as Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway (M-1), Lahore-Abdul Hakeem Motorway (M-3), Pindi Bhattian-Faisalabad-Multan Motorway (M-4), Multan-Sukkur Motorway (M-5), D.I Khan-Hakla Motorway (M-14) and the Mansehra Expressway.
Under the revised rates, cars travelling on the Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway (M-1) will see their toll rise from Rs 460 to Rs 500. Wagons will now be charged Rs 750, up from Rs 720 while buses face an increase from Rs 1,300 to Rs1,450. For trucks, the toll tax will jump from Rs1, 950 to Rs2300.
On national highways, the toll for cars will increase from Rs 50 to Rs 60, wagons will be charged Rs100, and buses will face a new rate of Rs200 against previous rates of Rs170. For 2 and 3-axle trucks, the tax will be Rs250 while articulated trucks will be charged Rs 500 against Rs 460.
On the M-3 motorway from Lahore to Abdul Hakeem, the toll tax for cars has risen from Rs650 to Rs 700. For the M-4 motorway, the toll tax has been raised from Rs850 to Rs950 while on M-5it was raised from Rs1, 050 to Rs1, 100. On the M-14, the toll tax is now Rs 600. In addition, tolls have been raised at key locations such as the Kohat Tunnel (N-55), Islamabad-Murree-Kohala Highway (N-75), and Mianwali Toll Plaza (N-135) with commuters facing higher charges across the board.