India's First Expressway That Charges Toll For Bikes Is Here!
Most of us hate tolls. In many places, we are forced to pay large amounts of money to use highways and bridges. Two-wheeler riders have always had the privilege of being exempted from having to pay these. Not anymore! India's first expressway which would levy toll on bikes and other two-wheelers will open soon.
Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) has now finalised the toll rates for bikes on the Gorakhpur Link Expressway. Bikes, autorickshaws and tractors will be treated equally and have been put under the same tab. This means that even two-wheeler riders will now have to pay tolls for using the Expressway. Two-wheelers aren't usually fitted with FASTags. So, their toll amount will be taken in cash.
We also got to know that monthly passes will be introduced in the future, for the convenience of two-wheeler commuters. Each pass will allow up to 20 journeys. The amounts to be charged, UPEIDA says, have been decided based on the distance between two toll booths and the infrastructure there.
Why Are Tolls Being Imposed On Two-Wheelers?
First, the 'no toll for two-wheelers' is a policy exclusive to the roadways built and managed by (or comes under) NHAI (National Highways Authority of India). The Gorakhpur Link Expressway does not belong to NHAI, and can thus be charged if the concerned body (UPEIDA in this case) wishes to.
In the larger picture, even NHAI is rumoured to be mulling toll-taxing two-wheeler riders. They might soon be asked to install FASTags and link it to their bank accounts. India Today, a trustworthy news major had previously reported the details of this. However, they took down the post later for reasons unknown.
Circling back, the government could be envisioning to grow its infrastructure funding with the toll collected from two-wheelers. These vehicles represent the major share of India's total vehicle population. Our country is in fact, the world's largest two-wheeler market. Two-wheeler tolls could thus be extremely rewarding for the authorities.
The funds raised from these will also be used for further expansion of roadways and highways. India currently has a lot of infrastructural development projects going on. The government is investing heavily in these projects. Two-wheeler tolls will act as a consistent source of funding for the same.
The downside here is that the tolling system will make two-wheeler riding more expensive. The public's affinity towards bikes and scooters is largely because of their affordable nature. Tolling will likely take this cost advantage off the table. Daily riders, delivery personnel and small business owners could all take hits.
A more serious concern is that of safety. The speed limit on expressways is 120 kph for four-wheelers. Letting two-wheelers and slow-moving vehicles like tractors can potentially cause a lot of chaos. Truck-drivers could start driving through the right lane, to avoid the two and three wheelers and the buzz they bring along. This can be dangerous to the cars and SUVs, the speeds of which often match the set speed limit of the expressway. Plus, overenthusiastic rider can cause additional trouble as well. Letting two and three-wheelers into the Expressway can thus be a very unsafe decisionl.
NHAI Denied The News, But...
The original report by India Today went viral, and eventually led to NHAI giving out a statement. It dismissed all reports around two-wheeler tolls as 'Fake news'.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari shared a clarification on X (previously Twitter) saying "Some media houses are spreading misleading news about imposing toll tax on two-wheeler vehicles. No such decision has been proposed. The exemption on toll for two-wheeler vehicles will continue fully. Spreading misleading news without verifying the truth to create a sensation is not a sign of healthy journalism. I condemn this.”
Days past this denial and social media posts, we now have the first Expressway readying itself to impose tolls on two-wheeler riders! It doesn't fall under NHAI and thus none of the claims made by the authority or the minister stands broken. But the common man will now have to pay to use this road! Plus, this development comes to light on July 14, a day ahead of the date mentioned in the India Today report.
Via Jagran