In his reply, Gadkari revealed that there are currently 1,015 toll plazas functioning on National Highways as of October 2024.
NHAI's Toll Collection FY 2023-24: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has reported a substantial increase in toll collection, with the total user fee collection for FY 2023-24 reaching Rs. 55,882 crore. This marks a 103.17% increase in toll revenue over the last five years.
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Jairam Gadkari, shared the data in response to questions raised by Rajya Sabha MP from Ludhiana, Sanjeev Arora. The toll collections for the past five years are as follows:
- 2019-20: Rs. 27,503.86 crore
- 2020-21: Rs. 27,926.67 crore
- 2021-22: Rs. 33,928.66 crore
- 2022-23: Rs. 48,032.40 crore
- 2023-24: Rs. 55,882.12 crore
Arora, during the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament, had sought information on the number of toll plazas operating on National Highways, along with the annual revenue generated from toll collection. He also asked about the rise in the use of Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) systems and its effects on toll booth efficiency.
In his reply, Gadkari revealed that there are currently 1,015 toll plazas functioning on National Highways as of October 2024. He credited the implementation of FASTag lanes in all toll plaza lanes from February 2021 for enhancing the overall toll collection process and efficiency.
Regarding the use of Electronic Toll Collection, Gadkari reported that ETC penetration has increased significantly over the past two years, with 97% of vehicles using the system in 2022 and 98% in 2023. The impact of the FASTag system has been particularly evident in reducing toll booth congestion. NHAI's study on the FASTag system found that the average waiting time at toll plazas decreased from 734 seconds to 47 seconds in FY 2022, thanks to the widespread adoption of ETC.
Additionally, Gadkari highlighted that traffic congestion at toll plazas is closely monitored through a GIS-based solution to ensure better management of road usage.
